A Hitch In The Ladder
by MoonPhoenix
Summary: Nobody in Taisho Corp knew what their boss looked like. So when clumsy Rin unexpectedly meets a handsome stranger on the plane, she had no idea that he was THE Taisho of Taisho Corp. RinSess.
1. Messy Meeting

Author's Note: This is my first real Inuyasha fic. Enjoy, people!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. This fiction is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

"Okay, Nakamura Rin. This is the first and most probably the only chance you can prove yourself to the company. Do it. You can. You can. Just run over the presentation like you have been practicing, and be done with it. Just run it over…"

Busy businessmen in the airport pick-up-point did not bother about the young woman pacing and talking to herself whilst waiting for a cab. Ever-free tourists, however, stared at this curious girl like she was…well, nuts. They shook their heads and left her alone, boarding the tour bus.

But she did not notice them at all. It was her first ever business trip and the flight made her neurotic all over again. She wasn't really very fond of flying, and to be honest, it was the first time she got on a plane leaving Tokyo.

Let's just say it was a lot of first times for her on that day.

Even when she moved from Fukuoka, her home town, to Tokyo, all she did was get on the Shinkansen and sit there and not look out of the window for fear of fainting at the speed the bullet train was going. This was different. Very different.

On this trip she was supposed to meet some very important clients that took an interest in buying one of the designs the corporation had to offer. It was a just a simple meeting, she already prepared the PowerPoint and all she had to do was to take out her laser pointer and do her stuff. But noooo. She had to screw up and get nervous again.

'Okay, no time for that now. This big yellow thing is coming. It says 'CAB'. Hey, idiot, wake up!' Her conscience finally managed to snap Rin to attention. She quickly tottered over to the sidewalk, luggage in tow, and waved a crazy arm at the unsuspecting taxi. In Japan, cabs came in all sorts of colours. Blue was a common one, but yellow taxis were rare.

Rin stumbled down the ledge of the pavement and hoisted the small polyester suitcase, panting and grunting at the same time. When she finally managed to dump the whole lot into the open boot, she gave a silent whoop of joy and snapped the boot shut. It wasn't that the case was heavy, it wasn't even big. But Rin in her little five foot one stature could barely accommodate to even that.

Hopping into the cab with perspiration dotting her forehead, she mentally tutted at the taxi driver who was busy lighting his cigarette. 'He didn't even bother to come out and help me! What is his problem?' Giving that complaint a small push aside, she announced cheerfully, "To the Meridian please!" Along the way she had to hold her breath to keep from choking at the cigarette fumes.

* * *

Rin plopped her case onto the carpeted floor of the small room. It was just right for her, and she marveled at the lovely scenery of London before stepping into the shower. After having a quick bath, she changed into her pajamas, snuggled under the covers and fell straight asleep.

Oh, what a day it was going to be tomorrow!

* * *

She woke up extra early, doing a few relaxing stretches before taking a long, hot bath. She still had a couple hours or so to prepare, so she was in no rush. Brushing her teeth until they shone, she proceeded to groom herself, a rare occurrence only reserved for special occasions. Plucking her eyebrows, though, wasn't easy. Rin yelped with each hair lost, but firmly stood her ground till the end. She was determined to look her best for today's meeting. Emptying her case onto the bed, she shook out the only suit she brought—her best one. Checking assiduously for any creases, she beamed when she found none.

After a few minutes of adjustments, she finally looked into the full-length mirror and was pleased with the result. The suit was Chanel, a gift from her best friend Kagome. Rin never inquired how much it cost, it was considered impolite, but she knew that she could never afford such fine clothing. It was chocolate brown in colour, one that matched Rin's eyes really well. The cutting managed to cling on to her subtle curves, and the skirt was neither too high nor dowdy. It was just right with the white shirt she wore inside. Rin smiled happily, feeling professional and classy. She just had to thank Kagome again the next time she sees her for this wonderful present.

Remembering her makeup, she then picked up the cream case from her bed and went into the bathroom. A few quick strokes here and there and she was ready. Kagome had taught her how to wear makeup the way it suited her best, and she was greatful for that. Faded brown eye shadow gave her face an earthy glow as well as enhanced her eyes. Pitch-black mascara gave an illusion to longer, thicker eyelashes. Bronze blusher heightened her cheekbones. It took just a simple swipe of cinnamon lip-gloss to complete the look.

Next was the hair. It was still a little damp, so she took out the hotel-provided hairdryer and blew it dry, straightening it at the same time. Normally her auburn locks had a stubborn wave, which would not work well in a meeting room. Tying her shoulder-length hair up in a bun, she looked at her childish, soft fringe and decided that she could do nothing about it. She had no pierced ears, so earrings would be impossible. Instead she hooked on a golden chain with a topaz pendant to her neck and was pleased with its effect on the mahogany suit. It was another gift, from her late mother this time. She had thought that Rin's birthstone as a twelve-year old girl's present was a brilliant idea, and Rin still treasured as much it ten years later.

Before she set off for sure, she fastened a Gucci imitation watch on her wrist, ruffled a beige scarf into her suit and slipped into a pair of comfy tan heels.

* * *

While Rin was in the cab she hugged her black leather briefcase and thought over her presentation. Why she had been chosen for this job was because she was one of the few Junior Marketing Executives who was fluent in English—and also needed a promotion at the same time. It was her one and only big break; chances like these were few and far between. She was determined to bag that promotion to Marketing Executive.

Rin liked this job. Sure, some days were horrible and the colleagues were mostly cunning people, but Rin could do most of it well. She had a degree in Advertising under her belt, and was considered artistically as well as ideally creative in her field. The reason for her flawless English was because her stepmother was British and they had been living together for five years before Rin moved to Tokyo University. She had been in this company for just less than a year, a perfect time for a rise in the corporate ladder.

She took a few deep breaths and stepped gingerly out of the cab, trying to act as ladylike and professional as possible. Smoothing out her skirt, Rin paid the driver through the window and walked into the colossal building. Click clack, click clack. The sound of her shoes was so loud and unnerving, and the echo practically shouted the stern silence of the reception lobby. Rin quickly went inside the open, empty lift and pressed the button with trembling fingers. It seemed all too fast that the doors slid open to her doom. Smiling at a couple of important-looking people who didn't smile back, Rin hurriedly walked across the expansive room and opened a frosted glass door.

Okay, it was time to begin.

* * *

Rin's company, Taisho Co., was trying to propose a new can design for a very big soda corporation. She was provided with a sample, complete with soda inside the brand new can. After Rin had gone through the PowerPoint slides, she looked at the emotionless faces around the table. Swallowing hard, she desperately went to her briefcase and fished for the sample soda can. The quiescence was deafening. When she finally got it, she was so jittery that she dropped the soda, which rolled to the boss of the company, Mr. Dill's seat.

"So sorry, excuse me please." Rin ran over and picked it up. Straightening herself, she cleared her throat. "Gentlemen, this is our sample product. Please go ahead and take a look. Open it if you wish, it's your soda! Ha ha ha…" Rin forced a laugh at her own lame joke.

She passed it to Mr. Dill and then before Rin could give him a last minute warning he popped it open. And 'pop' indeed, the whole can exploded into his stunned, porky face.

"SHIT!" Rin accidentally slipped into her native tongue. "I mean…sorry!" She quickly amended.

Mr. Dill, soaked and humiliated, glared at her with beady eyes. Rin resisted the temptation to back off. She cringed and squeaked out a few sorries before grabbing her bag and fleeing out of the conference room.

Screwing her eyes shut in the elevator, she wished that it was all just a horrible nightmare. Unfortunately for her it was all too real.

'What am I going to do? I'm going to be fired!'

* * *

Rin slumped over onto the airport bar table.

"Another shot please." She slurred to the bartender.

"Christ, lady, that's your fifth!" Nevertheless he acquiesced, slapping another shooter of citrus vodka in front of the hazy-eyed Rin. She knocked it back almost immediately, and the bartender winced. That was the strongest drink they had, and grown men fainted by the third glass. Not this petite Asian girl.

An air stewardess who was sitting beside her patted Rin on the back and tried to sooth the sobbing woman. Rin gave her a brief glance before bursting into tears all over again.

"Now now, don't cry…"

"I poured fucking soda all over the BOSS!" Rin wailed in self-disbelief. "Jaken is going to kill me once he finds out, he hates me already. Boo hoo!"

The stewardess nodded in complete understanding. It was her lifetime dream to become a counselor and this girl was triggering the motherly agony aunt inside her.

"What flight are you taking?"

"Huh…? Oh. Erm. NW424, I think."

"Oh! That's my flight! Tell you what." Her high voice turned into a soft, conspiring whisper. "What class are you taking?"

"Uh…Economy." Came the confused reply.

"Well, I can sneak you into the First Class! For no upgrade fee. That will make you feel much better."

Rin gaped at her in disbelief, and then nodded dumbly. Her second time on the plane and voila! First Class!

"Yes! Yes, thank you very much!" The thought of expansive, soft chairs and best service cheered her up considerably.

* * *

However her good spirits died down when Rin clambered on board with her rattling suitcase. She thought about the messy firing she was going to get when she got home. Her Dad would be so disappointed, he had encouraged her and funded her to go to college, and this was how she repaid him. Since her stepmother's death (that was the second time she lost a mother), Rin's father was down in the dumps, putting all his hope on his only child. But Jaken was no understanding supervisor. Rin imagined his froggy face twisted in a permanent smirk and groaned in her seat. The man beside her barely looked up from his Blackberry.

She sunk in lower, submerged in self-pity for a moment. Then almost immediately after, Rin slapped her two cheeks and straightened her back. She will not be daunted by this unexpected incident! Accidents happen, Rin, so don't sulk! Sulking is bad! Especially when you are in the first class seat!

So she thought about happy thoughts until she drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

Waking up around 9 hours to the flight, she stretched and yawned. The guy next to her still had not left his laptop. Rin marveled at his stamina and then staggered over to the bathroom, toilet bag in hand. She looked at her bloodshot, sunken eyes in the mirror and growled under her breath. Turning on the tap full blast, she splashed freezing water onto her face and yelped at the shock. After toweling dry, she felt much better.

However, she had a horrible nauseated feeling because of the alcohol she had consumed before. Emerging from the stuffy toilet she walked over to the stewardess and said sheepishly, "Could you please give me some warm water? I have a slight hangover."

The motherly instincts kicked back and the pretty lady reassured Rin. "Don't worry. I know just the thing to make you feel better."

Thanking her profusely, she went back to her seat. Just then the captain announced some turbulence problem in the plane, so Rin quickly clipped on her seat belt. The Laptop Man calmly finished whatever he was doing and snapped the Blackberry shut.

A few minutes later the air stewardess arrived with a fruity drink in her hand. She smiled and gave it to Rin, who accepted it graciously. "This is Emetrol. It tastes like juice, and it's a miracle for hangovers. I've added crushed Vitamin B inside. Enjoy!" She explained.

Rin greatfully sipped the refreshing brew in her hand, but luck was not on her side. The plane suddenly gave a frightening jolt and the liquid flew out of her drink and plopped onto the lap of Laptop Man. No pun intended. Rin stuttered apologies and hurriedly reached over to clean it up with the only piece of cloth she could find—her scarf. The man raised a single eyebrow as she continued rubbing his—

"OH SHIT!" This was the second time she shrieked that in Japanese. Her hands flung off his black pants—most probably Armani—like she burnt herself. The rest of the passengers gave her a brief glance and shook their heads. "Oh. I mean sorry! Er…for spilling and erm…touching your…uh…"

The man dispassionately remarked in perfect Japanese, "Oh, so you mean that wasn't on purpose. How disappointing."

Rin flushed. Not only was this guy Japanese (he definitely understood her expletive), he was mocking her!

"Well I'm really sorry okay? I'll pay for your dry-cleaning bills. And I definitely didn't do it on purpose!" She fired back in her mother language.

"It's alright. And by the way, here's your…scarf." He handed her the dripping, ruined silk. Now thoroughly embarrassed, she snatched it back and stuffed it into her briefcase, perfectly aware of the pair of amused amber eyes that followed her every move.

"ARGH! Will you stop staring!" Rin exploded. The other passengers hid under their blankets/newspapers/earphones. The man coolly shrugged, stood up and took out a dry pair of trousers from his case. He proceeded to the bathroom. Rin felt horribly guilty immediately. She watched his tall strong frame enter the toilet and for the first time Rin actually noticed his looks. He was beautifully handsome, long silver hair in a low ponytail. His face looked like the gods sculpted it personally.

But he was downright arrogant, Rin decided, as she tried not to meet his eyes when he came back. Her face turned puce red when she recalled the scarf incident. This time, she didn't notice his ghost of a smirk.

* * *

That's it folks! Please read and review, thanks for dropping by! The next chapter will be up…soon…I hope. 


	2. Whoops, I dropped my scarf!

**A Hitch in the Ladder**

**Chapter 2**

Author's Note: Thanks guys for all the wonderful reviews! I'm sorry I didn't mention it before, but unfortunately this story does not contain any magic whatsoever and is very much alternate universe. Sesshoumaru is just naturally strong and handsome! ;) So apologies are in order to icygirl2.

And as for the cab thing the last chapter, I am sorry for any mistakes about the color of the taxi, ButterflyAngel64. I just distinctly remember some of them. What I am sure of is only the Jap cabs haha. Also sorry for the mistake to everyone in general. I will edit it when I've got the time.

Another small note: This fanfiction, I am aware, is very similar to Sophie Kinsella's Can You Keep A Secret but as you know a few vital elements like the main character spilling out her life is obviously missing so it is just the beginning. Other than that it is, should be, completely different. Thanks Dizzy Loser for pointing that out!

And I actually posted this before but I decided to edit this chapter a bit because I thought it really sucked. So yeah. End of notes! Sorry for keeping you!

* * *

Rin was in complete agony beside this man for the next few hours. Whatever it was she refused to make any contact with him whatsoever, writhing in pure embarrassment. When their hands almost touched on the armrest she drew it in like it was on fire. All throughout Rin was jittery and a little too worked up.

When the plane thankfully touched down (while her knuckles turned as pale as her face from gripping the seat too hard), Rin hastily grabbed her things and made a run for it. Bidding the air stewardess goodbye with a quick hug she practically flew off the plane and breezed through the counter, her mind set on avoiding the Laptop Man at all costs. Panting, she stepped out into the open air of the sidewalk and breathed in a long, deep breath.

And choked in some cigarette fumes.

Coughing madly, once again she was in the center of attention. Everyone still thought she was nuts, even after flying over an ocean. Giving in to a last wheeze, she looked up. To her utter dismay Laptop Man was passing her. Thank goodness he didn't seem to notice, he was too caught up with his cell phone. Rin breathed a sigh of relief and quickly turned the other direction. She tried to ignore the gorgeous black Rolls Royce that pulled up right in front of Laptop Man, or the fact that it obviously belonged to him. She gave in to temptation and watched from the corner of her eye his tall physique enter the luxury vehicle. The chauffer was gazing at him with utmost adoration (and yes, he was male), holding the door open like his life depended on it.

'Well probably.' Rin thought sarcastically. 'I imagine an execution would be in order if he fails to serve his Majesty Blackberry.'

Hailing the oncoming cab, she smiled thankfully as the driver left his wheel and helped her with the baggage. After giving directions, Rin sank into her seat and looked outside, the busy but familiar streets of Tokyo reflecting in her eyes. She closed them, tears of relief and exhaustion brimming in her lids.

It was good to be home.

* * *

Scrambling up the narrow stairway, Rin dragged the suitcase as she pierced the key into the keyhole of the apartment door. Lumbering in, she took in her surroundings happily. It was a place, a haven where she could be herself, where there was no need for masks or frigid politeness. The quaint furniture was warm and welcoming, and so were the bright flowery wallpapers. When she entered her bedroom and turned on the soft lamp, the affable plum carpet squished familiarly under her wriggling toes. Jumping onto the bed, which creaked in a form of a greeting, Rin nuzzled the light pink covers fondly. She fell asleep almost immediately.

Waking up a few hours later, Rin realized she was almost late for work. Dreading the upcoming dismissal from her precious job, she dragged her feet slowly along the floor to the bathroom anyway. Taking an uber-quick hot shower, she rushed through her appearance. There was no one that could be less bothered about sore eyes and blotchy cheeks. Playing tug-of-war with her hairbrush, Rin finally untangled the last strands. Not bothering to style it, she just bundled it up all in one simple ponytail and tied the hair with a plain black band.

She remembered her cat, Tamon and decided to pick her up from Kagome's after work today. She missed the overweight fur ball terribly.

Rin knew today's outlook would probably be pretty bleak, so she threw on a depressing black button-up shirt with mid-length sleeves, this time not bothering about the ironing it needed. Fishing out a pair of gray pants of the same color, she barely looked into the mirror before grabbing her bag and stuffing in all the essentials in. Essentials as in REALLY essential. Makeup was out; she did not cultivate a habit of reapplying it after lunch or during work hours. Instead it was only her wallet and house keys, plus a diskette of reports she was supposed to work on. Rin couldn't help but notice that something was missing. Did she drop anything on the plane? Shaking off that thought, she ran out and down the stairs.

* * *

Stepping out of the bus and almost banging into an innocent pedestrian, she bowed and apologized profusely before rushing into her favorite café down the road next to the Taisho Corp. building.

It was her favorite because of many reasons. The atmosphere was brilliant, with soft murmurs and dreamy lighting. Another more obvious reason was the guy at the counter. His name, as Rin had learned not only through the nametag but also frequent daily chatter, was Kohaku. His boyish good looks and gentle smile was the incentive to make Rin come by to get coffee every day.

Today was no different. Rin greeted Kohaku with her usual, cheery hello, hell bent on ignoring the dreaded thought of being fired from her job later. He grinned warmly back, which made butterflies flutter in her stomach happily.

"The usual, please."

"Sure, coming right up." Kohaku took out a tuna sandwich from the fridge and set out to make a delicious, piping hot latte. Putting them into a brown bag, he then looked around while passing it to Rin. Business was unusually slow on that morning, and nobody was behind the small-statured woman in the queue. Blushing and clearing his throat, Kohaku shyly began, "Erm…Miss Rin. Are you free this Saturday?"

"Sure, I think. Why?" Rin grimaced inside, thinking she would be all too free every day after getting fired.

"I was just thinking," The flush filled his good-looking face again. "That if you didn't mind joining me for dinner."

"Oh!" Rin exclaimed. This was a date!

"It's nothing grand," Kohaku added quickly. "Just a quiet dinner at the Goji noodle stall."

"Um, sure! Why not!" Rin replied albeit too enthusiastically.

"Really?" His face lit up. "How about I meet you there at seven o'clock? Is that fine? Sorry, I don't have a car, I can't take you there." The apologetic smile melted Rin's heart. She quickly agreed and skipped all the way to Taisho, brown paper bag in hand. She couldn't believe her luck! Somebody like Kohaku actually wanted to go out with her!

* * *

Keeping that happy smile right until the point when she got to her desk, she greeted Sango, her neighbor in the office and good friend. She was bohemian as usual, ebony hair clasped in a shiny orange clip, with a matching outfit. Large hoop earrings as big as her ear itself framed her pretty face. "Someday, Sango. Someday you are not going to get away with wearing such outrageous stuff." Rin always used to say. But the cool-headed older woman only continued to chew her gum and shrug playfully to that remark. Many times, Rin wished that she could be like Sango. Confident, absolutely talented and likeable at the same time. Little did she imagine that she already had two of those traits. Guess which two.

Now Sango eyed Rin's delusional smile curiously. "What's with that face?"

Rin struggled with herself whether to tell her about the scarf and soda incident first, or to spill out the news of the date that was already gathering in her lips. But before she could open her mouth to say anything, Jaken burst into the office like a panicked toad.

"People people! Someone extremely important is paying us a rare visit this week. He's our big, big boss," Jaken paused, his beady eyes scanning the room for some reaction. When he got the collective gasp he wanted, he continued. "He is the Sesshoumaru Taisho, founder of Taisho Corp. We must be on our best behavior today, or ELSE." He eyed Rin in particular, but his expression was not more glaring or bitter than it usually was, so she was quite puzzled. Did he forget about it? Didn't Mr. Dill tell on me? Rin doubted that after her escape that day, the cantankerous Dill would find some hidden generosity in himself and keep the information from his good friend Jaken.

Rin looked around the office, and noticed that the only one acting normal was she and Sango. The rest were busy with tidying their desk, tidying their clothes, tidying their makeup, and finally pretending to be working on something. Rin only berated herself for dressing like some slump but slid in the diskette with only a slight tremor in her actions. Sango couldn't give a damn. She merely flicked her wrists, her gold bangles making a tinkling sound, and then continued sketching a little fox thingy on her pad.

As Rin was typing a statement about Adobe Photoshop, in came Jaken with the boss. She didn't look up; only after finishing a sentence did she pay any attention to the appearance of the head honcho.

Her eyes widened slowly with disbelief. The silver hair was unmistakable, and so were the golden eyes. But how could it be? He looked so young! At most, thirty! Rin's fingers flexed painfully as she often did when she was scared to death or very nervous. Everyone else was trying hard to make an impression, but Rin was frantically searching for a hole to crawl into.

Too late. Laptop Man's intense stare met her languid one.

To her absolute horror he started to smirk. SMIRK! It was a small one, and probably seen only by Rin but she swore that it was directed meaningfully at her. While Jaken introduced Laptop Man (Rin remembered that his name was actually Sesshoumaru), he didn't seem to be listening. Thankfully after a few moments the walking Kermit brought Sesshoumaru to his office. However, his last look at Rin did not go unnoticed at all.

* * *

Walking, or more like running, into the ladies' room, Rin rushed into a cubicle and banged the door shut. She closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands and let out a long, tired breath. Wait a minute. What was she going to do? Did he remember her? Yes he did, it was obvious from the way he glanced at her like that. It's not like she's a grand sight, in fact she looked terrible. But it was only a glance, wasn't it? It could be just a fly buzzing in front of her or something. And the smirk must be imaginary.

'Most probably you just thought too much about it. You always do, Rin.' Her conscience told her. Brushing off the anxiety aside, she decided that it was all psychological. Sometimes Rin thought that she needed a therapist badly.

This time more calmly, she made her way back to her desk. Sango looked up, cocked an eyebrow, and continued drawing. It always amused her, Rin's weird and temperamental personality. Rin promptly sat down and tried to forget about everything and concentrated on her work. In fact, she told herself, she should be counting her blessings that Jaken completely forgot about her. Normally the cranky supervisor fired people first thing in the morning—

"RIN!"

She jumped at his croaky voice. 'Oh no. Did I speak too soon? Maybe he just put off my doom until Sesshoumaru was nicely settled down with his laptop wife?'

Trying to delay the inevitable, she unhurriedly rose from her seat and strolled to the supervisor's office. Rin was painfully aware of various knowing eyes watching her walk to the door. She knew what all of them were thinking. Oh dear, Rin imagined bitterly. What has Rin gone up to again? Threw another batch of important papers into the shredder? What a klutz!

Especially Kagura, Rin thought, turning her head around briefly to spot the beautiful brunette looking at her smugly. Quickly opening the door, she closed it shut behind her back.

"Yes, Jaken-san?" Rin ignored her shaky voice.

"Rin, pass this folder to Mr. Taisho in his office now."

Rin was confused. Wasn't he supposed to yell at her first? Well, it was better this way. She accepted the brown paper file with both hands and bowed respectfully. But one little thing striked her as odd. Jaken would love to polish Sesshoumaru's boots until they shone, so why did he give her this simple job of passing a file? Much less give this job to HER of all people?

'Whatever. Mr. Boss must have ordered him not to stick his slimy webbed limbs onto his Hugo suit. And he probably wants me to make a fool of myself.'

Rin left the room and all twenty-desk people except Sango looked up. She put on a fake, happy smile and they slinked in disappointment. It always brightened their day with one less competitor but Rin knew how to beat them all.

Walking to the door of the administrator office, she hesitated for a while before opening it. 'All in the mind, Rin. All in the mind.'

Bravely stepping into the vast room, she greeted with a polite and formal tone. "Good morning, Mr. Taisho."

"Yes?" He didn't look up until a few seconds later.

"Mr. Jaken wishes to pass this document to you sir." Rin was impressed with herself. There was not a single quiver in her sentence! She placed the folder onto his large mahogany desk, resolved to ignore how drop-dead gorgeous he looked in his assertive royal blue suit and a black shirt and how deep but chilling his voice was.

"Thank you." He simply said.

As Rin made a move to get out, absolutely sure that there was no way he recognized her, Sesshoumaru stopped her.

"Wait."

What did he want now?

"Yes sir?" She watched as he took out his genuine leather briefcase and opened it. Waiting patiently, Rin couldn't believe her chocolate eyes as he shook out something very familiar…and _beige_.

"MY SCARF!"

* * *

AN: I know there are many things that I didn't explain yet, like why Sess had the scarf with him but it's quite simple really.


	3. Hey, you Seem Familiar

**A Hitch On The Ladder: Chapter 3**

**Hey, You Seem Familiar…**

Authors Note: Sorry for the sudden delay everyone, I'm currently stuck in the middle of a huge exam. Thanks for the wonderful reviews! I really appreciate them. Please continue giving feedback, I need them!

* * *

Rin's eyes almost fell out of her head as she stared fixatedly at the cursed brown…_rag_. Sesshoumaru calmly placed it on his immaculate dark oak table and waited patiently for the stunned---understatement of the year--- Rin to pick up her jaw from the floor.

Finally the screws of her mouth seemed to be working. "Th…that's not mine, Mr. Taisho. Not mine. You must have mistaken me for someone else." Inside her mind was bursting. How the hell did he get the damn thing? No wonder something seemed to be missing. Rin remembered every single humiliating detail of the scarf incident, and there was a scene where she had to excruciatingly stuff every fibre of the darn fabric into HER briefcase, so if it wasn't magic, how did it end up back in the hands of her BOSS?

Sesshoumaru, in response to her little lie, quirked the infamously delicate eyebrow and sighed. A vein throbbed in the girl's head.

"You are Nakamura Rin, correct?"

Rin glanced nervously at her chest and nodded. She hadn't worn her nametag today, so how…?

"Junior Marketing Executive?"

She gulped. Rin kind of knew where this was going. "Yes sir."

"Then you are the owner of the briefcase from which this scarf jumped out of." Rin cursed under her breath. Her personalized company briefcase contained her company information and her name for professional purposes. Just tough luck that the boss of the company would notice and pick up the stupid scarf that fell out, knowing that he would meet her later on. Her humiliation just wouldn't end.

"Okay fine. Yes, the scarf is mine and yes I was the one who spilt Vitamin B all over you and yes, I was the one who shouted at you." Rin closed her eyes and felt a burning blush creeping up her neck. She went over and took the silk away from the table. To her astonishment, it was clean and dry. It had been soaked and stained orange beyond repair. She opened her mouth to inquire about it but the exquisite creature before her beat her to it.

All this while, Sesshoumaru had to stop himself from breaking his cool demeanor with the amusement he felt when she refused to admit it, and then confessed so easily. He cleared his throat. "I took it to the dry-cleaners when I deposited my trousers. Don't bother paying me back."

Rin bristled, and then remembered that this man actually bothered. "Thank you Mr. Taisho. I'm really sorry about the…the…" If it was possible Rin's face became a shade more beetroot. She quickly bowed and asked if there was anything else. The divine man just dismissed her with a careless wave. Just when Rin was about to rush out, he suddenly said in his deep, baritone voice, "And you might as well wear the scarf now. You will look less drab."

Rin was too surprised to even reply. She just shot her boss a look before leaving the beautiful office; almost running and missed the amused smirk he had on his perfect lips.

Standing with her back to Sesshoumaru's office door for a few seconds, she looked at the scarf in her hand and went to the ladies room. Closing her eyes, she refused to open them until she was sure she was right in front of the never-ending wall mirror.

"Oh my gosh I look like shit." Was all that she said. Her hair was dreary and dead, lack of any shine or lustre, even more than that of this morning, and her face was just as gloomy-looking. The black shirt and dark grey pants she wore didn't help at all. Looking at the beige scarf again, she decided that Sesshoumaru was right. She didn't even look presentable. Rin was sure that herboss thought she was a freak, or worse, crazy.

Tying her scarf around her slender neck the same way she had back in London, she carefully arranged it and looked at herself. It really did seem better, and added more design in her boring office wear. Sighing, she looked again. Why did she bother herself with this madness just because some really, really hot guy commented on it? Rin swore that Sesshoumaru was just too perfect, too flawless for her liking. And the chillness of him…she shuddered.

Pulling out her hair rubber band, she retied her ponytail, this time making it higher and livelier. Her dark brown hair was nice in a ponytail, but the fringe was a little weird. It looked too matted up today, instead of its usual, soft, airy volume. Twisting the posh golden taps open, she wetted her hands and proceeded to attempt to style her bangs to make it seem more presentable.

Deciding that her long absence would probably anger Jaken, she quickly ran back to her seat, avoiding everyone's curious looks. When she had to pass Kagura, the latter muttered viciously, "Still on the job, dunce?"

Rin scowled and resisted the temptation to stoop to the woman's level by shouting back. She sat down on her seat and got to work. Sango looked up from her drawings and noticed the scarf and her improved appearance.

"What's up? Where did you get the scarf? It looks nice on you."

Rin paused her typing and started to breathe slowly and calmly. She really wanted to rip the bloody cloth out and tear the silk into shreds but she just didn't want the extra attention, especially on the scarf. This thing caused her so much humiliation she'd rather just forget about it.

"I swear if one more person mentions this stupid thing…" Rin sighed and gave it up. "Kagura called me a dunce just now."

Sango tutted at this information and remarked dryly. "Coming from Kagu-Buta herself, it's a little bit rich, isn't it? Besides, it's not true. You have got a degree under your belt, haven't you? And you speak better English than even Jaken."

Rin heaved another huge sigh. "But that was after I failed so many of my finals! And also the English part is because I was raised by a British mother. Not to mention I'm always so blur-headed and getting into trouble--"

Sango interrupted her with mock irritation. "I tell you, if the shrinks see how I handle your depressions every day they will hand me a diploma right away. Stop whining and wallowing in your self-pity. You know as well as I do that Kagura is a bitch, and I believe you are more capable than that. Pull yourself together. By the way, what happened inside the hot Sess' office? Did he ask you out?"

Rin stared at her friend as if she was mad. In fact, Rin partially believed she was. "What are you thinking! Of course not. As if someone like that would be interested in me. Anyway, he's too…cold for my liking."

"I think that's the attraction in him." Sango was starry eyed for a moment. "Unlike Miroku. That idiot is too warm, especially to the female species."

Rin laughed. "But you love that idiot anyway, don't you? He calls you practically five times a day even if you meet each other every time you go home."

A pleased expression, almost proud, flickered in Sango's beautiful, exotic face. She smiled and said in a funny quiet voice, "You're right." She paused, as if thinking. Then she suddenly exclaimed, "Oh no, I've got to hand in my design specification by tonight! Talk to you later!"

Rin was rather relieved that the topic of Sesshoumaru Taisho was postponed for the moment. She diligently went back to work.

* * *

After work, she quickly bustled home for a nice, hot bath and a good dinner. She longed for the relaxing warm water, and rushed home eagerly. To her astonishment, however, her foot came into contact with ice-cold liquid when she stepped into her house.

"OH MY GO…odness!" She exclaimed, remembering that it was not good to curse under God's name. However, she was sure this warranted it. Her home, her beautiful, cozy, home, was flooded ankle-deep in water. Rin gingerly stepped over the mess and, as quickly as possible, opened the door of the bathroom. Immediately a torrent of freezing water dumped itself onto poor Rin, soaking her thoroughly. There was nothing else she could do.

She screamed.

The water was now reaching her upper ankle. She looked, dripping wet, into the toilet and found out that the water was running. The tap and somehow flown out of control and set the water full blast. Rin groaned at the thought of the water bills she had to pay. Running back to her bag, which was safely on the table, she took out her cell phone and dialed. The house phone didn't seem to work. It was already six and she was worried that the water might have caused an electrical short circuit.

The person on the next line answered and she talked fast. "HelloisthisShippou? IamRinthereisafloodinherecomequick." Rin sighed and hung up. So much shit was going on. Running to the bath, she tried to get her towel to dry herself up but just as she thought it was soaking wet as well. So were almost all her decent clothing which was strewn on the floor after the beginning stage of unpacking.

Trying to turn off the tap-less water in vain, she gave up and groaned, sinking onto the bathroom floor. She couldn't care less if the water was spraying her all the time. She couldn't care less if the liquid was making her teeth chatter. She was just tired and angry.

And that was how the repairman found her, eyes closed and shivering. Waking her up, he looked at the damage and told her that it was because a sudden burst in a faulty pipe caused the water in this block to go out of control. Sure enough screams from upstairs could be heard already.

"It's dangerous to stay here, Rin-chan. I'm surprised that you haven't been electrocuted yet. The electricity in your house isn't working. I think you are very lucky, wearing rubber soles."

Rin muttered something intelligible and said that she would leave while Shippou, who had all the safety gear and equipment, would do the job. He promised not to steal anything, trying to joke. Rin offered a weak smile and went to her room to pack. She threw in some necessities that weren't wet and then suddenly remembered her cat, Tamon.

'No wonder something was at the back of my mind! I'll go call Kagome and ask her if I can stay there for a few days.'

Just then Shippou came in and told her that it was worse than expected.

"It's best not to come in until maybe Saturday. The damage is great, many of your appliances are not working."

Rin sighed and nodded. Calling Kagome, her spirits rose considerably when she heard her best friend's voice.

"Hey! Can I camp over for a few days? My house is in a fix. I'll explain later."

"Sure, but did you know that Inuyasha's bro—"

"Hey sorry gotta go. The repairman is calling me again. COMING!"

Running over and hanging up the phone, she pocketed it and carried her suitcase along. After settling her arrangements with the kind repairman, she set off, still dripping wet. To her annoyance no taxi would take her, and of course not the bus. Trembling with cold, she walked. And walked. And walked some more until she reached Kagome's handsome terrace house.

Kagome was a lucky woman. She was successful, rich, and married with the man she loved. They had known each other since childhood, when they were still moulding their dreams. Dreams that seemed so far away now.

Opening the unlocked door, she sighed and welcomed the warmth. She spotted her Tamon and grinned tiredly.

Until she realized who was the one holding it. The bearer turned to face her with his cold, golden eyes and his perfectly-chiseled face looking too comical with the cat staring at him while he was holding it up.

"Wha…what are you doing here? I mean…I mean…"

"…..Rin Murayama." He was then interrupted with a volley of shouts("How DARE you eat my cookies again, you bastard! Don't you know those are for—"), and a red-faced Kagome ran out to the living room donning a flower-print apron and wielding a big spoon like a weapon. In front of her was a cowering Inuyasha who stopped trembling with fear once he saw the both of them. Kagome, too, lowered her makeshift sword.

"Rin-chan! Sesshoumaru-san! How did both of you come in?"

"The door was unlocked." Came the simultaneous reply.

Kagome shifted her eyes between Rin and Sesshoumaru and grinned suddenly. Rin knew that look all to well. She gave the 'scheming' Kagome a warning look. Sesshoumaru ignored the exchange and spoke up.

"I had just come in. I saw nobody except for the cat, and decided to wait."

"Oh, that's Rin's cat, Tamon. He likes you! Rin is coming here to stay for a few days. Rin, this is Sesshoumaru Taisho, I'm sure you met him at the office today. He's staying for a while too before he moves in next door. Sesshoumaru-san, have you seen Rin before? She's my best friend. And what happened? You're soaked."

"Wait a minute." Rin cut in hurriedly. She didn't want the embarrassing episode of The Scarf to be spoken of just yet. "You mean your husband's BROTHER was the boss of the company I work for? I thought it was your uncle or something. Inuyasha, why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't like to mention HIM." Came his sulky reply.

Rin looked at Kagome and she looked back. They seemed to read each other's minds and both ran to the kitchen immediately for one of their 'private conferences', leaving the two estranged brothers standing outside in the living room.

"Okay Rin, what happened? You're so…so…"

"Damp? Well my main water pipe burst and it affected the whole apartment block. I had to leave. My repairman already went there to fix it. I gave him the keys."

"What? Isn't it dangerous?"

"He's an old friend, and I've had him for ages. Anyway." Rin's voice lowered dangerously. "What. Is. He. Doing. In. Your. House!"

Kagome giggled to that. "Isn't he cute? I was just going to ring you to ask you here. I mean, Boss and employee relationships are just SO romantic."

"Are you sick or are you just crazy? He and I are NOT made for each other, okay?" She then proceeded to tell the whole story of her rubbing his…with the scarf. To which Kagome, annoyingly, burst out with full blown laughter. "Oh my gosh this is the funniest thing! You guys ARE made for each other!" She ignored Rin's dark look and continued. "He has to stay here for a few days before moving in next door. He, as you probably know, just came back from London after a long business there, and is coming back. Even though he hates his little brother, he moved right next to him just to piss him off. He and I are friends, though. He couldn't get a hotel before the house was finished with construction, so he called to ask if he could stay here for a bit. There's plenty of room, anyway."

Rin glared at her best friend with narrowed eyes. "Are you sure this isn't a ploy to match-make again?"

"Of course not! What are you thinking?" The truth was, Kagome had heard of the news that Sesshoumaru was coming, and had practically forced him to stay here, even renting the house next door for him as a 'present'. Sesshoumaru, of course, had to oblige as nothing less than the perfect gentleman. Trying to hide her guilt, she quickly bustled Rin into the bathroom. "Quick, now for a hot soak. You must be shivering."

Gratefully, Rin entered and turned the tap on. She tried to sort her thoughts out as the water ran smoothly into the sparkling white Jacuzzi, emanating clouds of steam that warmed the cold Rin immensely. 'Mr. Taisho… He's here! He'll be staying here! With me!' The girl-woman couldn't decide if that was heaven or hell. Sure, his devastating good looks could make any sane, straight woman commit murder, but Rin just felt a little uncomfortable around his demanding presence. She giggled as she recalled the little moniker she had given him in the plane. Not only had she named him after his obsession with his Blackberry, she had also berated him mentally for being a first-class jerk and spoilt rich guy.

Sinking her lithe body into the tub, she enjoyed the hydro massage the Jacuzzi was giving her. Boy, she thought. I wouldn't mind staying for a few days.

* * *

Once she finished soaping herself and washing her hair, Rin emptied the tub and watched as the bubbly water flowed down the drain. 'I mustn't be so pessimistic! This isn't like me at all! I shall be happy, even if I don't feel like it very much, but at least I owe my best friends a pleasant boarder since they have done so much for me.' So, with that strong thought in mind, she assiduously rubbed the tub clean and picked up every single strand of hair that had left her head while she had washed. Satisfied with the results, Rin finally wrapped a fluffy white towel, albeit too short, around her body and opened the door to pick up the clothing Kagome had left her while she bathed.

And collided with a very hard, yet soft, wall. Still a little groggy from the comfort in the hot water, she mumbled to herself why there was a wall right in front of a door.

"I am not a wall, Murayama." That sexy monotone drove all the grogginess she felt right out of the window. She was horrified.

"OH my GOSH I am so sorry! I just…I just wanted to take these clothes!" And so she did, slamming the door(unintentionally) shut as she reentered the bathroom. Panting heavily, Rin put on her clothes, brushed her hair fervently and practically ran out of the shower room. And then proceeded to squeal, a little loudly, when she realized she was staring at a very naked Sesshoumaru.

Well. It was only HALF-naked. But still.

"You're… you're half-naked…" Rin squeaked the obvious, deciding to be straight about it. Not in that sense but you get the drift. She had not noticed his bare biceps when she was too flustered to care just now.

The magnificent vision before her just sighed tiredly—God, even his sigh was simply heaven to hear. "Murayama, this is my room. Am I not permitted to shed my clothing in my private space?" His tone did not differ much from an adult trying to teach a slightly retarded child.

"You mean, this is your room?"

"Yes." His tone was edged with slight annoyance.

"Of all the—KAGOME!" In a rage, she stormed off, clad in a bunny rabbit T-shirt and pink shorts. She had just noticed her attire and all the more it made her want to strangle her best friend.

"What?" Came the innocent reply of said friend. "What did I do?"

"You did IT on purpose." The venomous tone was quite intimidating coming from a petite, perky girl. "You put me in HIS bathroom on purpose, knowing he was going to use it. You then conveniently deposited me with the most—" She gestured madly at her outrageously…cute outfit while fumbling for a word. "—HUMILIATING clothes ever! You must have worn this when you were in kindergarten or something!"

Kagome threw back her head and laughed. "You look absolutely adorable. And anyway, you'll be sleeping at your usual room. Dinner's almost ready, so come on!"

"I'm changing first, thanks to you." Rin said darkly, throwing Kagome a killer glare before rushing to her temporary room to change. Once she had thrown on a pair of decent jeans and a shirt, she went to help out Kagome with the setting up of the table and preparing the last of the dishes. Kagome looked at Rin, who was chopping up the onions to put into the omelette. "Hey, could you call Sesshoumaru-san down? I know Inu is busy with work, but he knows dinner's at seven-thirty. His brother doesn't." An innocent look told Rin all she needed to know about her best friend's motives. However, the smaller woman tried to ignore the stupid attempts. So what if she had to talk to her boss? It's just dinner.

"Sure, I'll go." She said, much to Kagome's bewilderment.

Running up the stairs, she knocked on the door of his room. It opened after precisely (she counted) seven seconds. Sesshoumaru was dressed now, in a dark blue sweater with rolled up sleeves and ragged jeans that made him look as casual as anyone else but a million times more gorgeous. Rin resisted the urge to swoon and quickly announced her purpose, with a slight stammer that didn't go unnoticed.

"You don't have to be afraid of me."

"?" Did he just say that? Rin, with much effort, relocated her jaw and said stubbornly, "I-I'm not afraid of you. Why should I be?" She was replied with a shrug, but his piercing amber eyes sent shivers down her spine, contradicting his careless move. Rin couldn't help returning the stare, and it seemed to be an eternity by the time their eye contact was broken by Inuyasha coming out of the study.

Speechless, Rin turned around and walked away, but her wrist was caught by a much larger hand. When she turned to face him, he was holding…..

HER _BRA_!

"You forgot this." His expression was as stoic as usual, but she definitely saw a glimmer of amusement somewhere in his eyes. Cursing under her breath, she didn't bother to thank him, instead rushing off to her room to keep it. Her face was burning a flaming red and she knew it. How? How does these things always happen with him around?

Dinner was an awkward affair.

* * *

Review pls! Thank you so much!


	4. Getting Along Just Nicely

**A Hitch In The Ladder: Chapter 4**

**Getting Along Just Nicely**

-

It was twelve midnight and Sesshoumaru stopped typing on his laptop. He didn't bother to finish the email he was writing to a contact and snapped his Blackberry shut. Tipping the old wooden desk chair backward, he sighed and rubbed his hands over his face in an uncharacteristic sign of fatigue. He contemplated bringing coffee into his room, but remembered Kagome's not-so-subtle threat of dismembering anyone who dared to bring sugared food or drink out of the kitchen.

Screw the rules, he thought rebelliously. But then his conscience got the better of him and he let out a frustrated curse.

Grabbing his laptop from the desk, he left the bedroom.

-

That night, Rin could hardly sleep. At first, she fell asleep due to the exhausting events of the day, but then at precisely two AM in the morning she awoke, feeling as if she could never return to sleep again. It was one of those weird thoughts that made a person get up in the middle of the night just to walk around. So she got up, rubbed her eyes, and proceeded downstairs to get a warm drink or something.

She was rather surprised to find the kitchen-cum-dining room light switched on, and dismissed the notion of burglars before it became an actual thought in her mind. Come on, burglars don't turn on lights… do they?

When she tiptoed in to find a certain silver-haired man typing incessantly on his laptop, she almost breathed a sigh of relief. Keyword: almost. The previous night's encounter with him cruelly flashed back like a bullet train through her brain. She cringed and turned towards the stairs, but paused.

Was this like a test? A test of her self-confidence and courage? If it was, she didn't want to fail. I mean, that guy over there was just her boss. Simply the head honcho of the company. So what if she had rubbed his dick before? Happens all the time, doesn't it? Well, maybe not in that situation, but it was a pure accident. She was sure he had gotten over it like an adult. She was the only one hanging on the precipice of embarrassment like an oversensitive, immature, naïve child. Rin mentally climbed back up and stood upright. She was no child! So she turned back towards the entrance of doom. Not before giving herself a once-over first, though. Rin started with attire.

Decent shirt and woolen pants, check.

She finger-combed her black hair and looked into the hallway mirror. Hair and general appearance, check.

She peered into her shirt. Bra, check.

Breath, check. _Wait, breath? Why breath?_ She wasn't going to kiss him.

That thought made her shiver, and it wasn't an unpleasant sensation. Shaking her head, she walked into the kitchen with an air of nonchalance.

"Hi," she said.

He looked up and immediately glanced down to her feet. Confused, she looked down as well and groaned when she saw that she was wearing her uber cute, uber childish and uber fluffy MoMo Panda slippers. Her brain desperately searched for a plausible explanation.

"My, uh, _sister_! She is a huge fan of MoMo!" Uh-oh. She could feel her ears already burning. Rin didn't understand why was it so freaking difficult to lie about a pair of freaking slippers.

"_Is _she?" He put the emphasis on the 'is' so it sounded extremely suspicious.

"What—what are you doing here anyway? It's almost three in the morning." When she glanced at the kitchen clock and saw the time she realized that when she was outside the kitchen checking her appearance she took about half an hour. And_ yet_ she still didn't find out about her slippers. Frankly, it was annoying.

He looked at her with an unreadable expression on his face for a few seconds before answering. "Working."

"Oh. Right. Sure thing!" Though curious, she did not pursue the matter.

The sudden absence of voices made the talkative Rin decidedly uncomfortable. She almost ran to the refrigerator and hastily opened it, revealing neatly stacked containers of leftovers and such.

"Ohhhh! Clam chowder! I love you, Kagome!" Rin carefully took out the plastic carton and warmed it in the microwave. She pressed 80 seconds onto the machine and leaned against the counter awkwardly. Sesshoumaru's face was half-covered by the Blackberry from her angle.

"Um… do you want some?

He barely looked up. "Some what?"

"Some…clam chowder, maybe?"

"No." Then, sort of belatedly, he added, "Thank you."

"Okay."

Silence. Only the annoying click-clack of his fingers hitting the keyboard hummed in the air.

The microwave 'pinged' into a stop and she jumped. When she opened it the aroma of freshly-warmed clam chowder filled the entire room. Rin inhaled while carrying the bowl to the table as far away from Sesshoumaru as possible, which was futile because the table was small enough as it is.

Unfortunately, after the third swallow the chatterbox in her itched to activate itself while she tried in vain to prevent the inevitable. Finally, she broke the silence.

"Eh…ano… Are you going to watch the new movie?"

Pause. Then, "What movie?"

Shit. "The…uh…I have no idea."

This time he looked slightly irritated. "Then why ask the question?"

"Just…trying to make idle conversation."

He gave her the same unreadable look and turned back to his mini computer. Rin could have sworn he was smiling, but before the thought could register his face became ever stoic.

After a few mouthfuls of delicious soup Rin could not stand it any longer. The silence was too overbearing for a naturally talkative girl like her. What's more, she was way too curious about what he was doing on the computer. He said he was working, but what was he working on? As a woman who was extremely passionate about her job (regardless of the horrible Jaken and bitchy Kagura), an interest in what the big boss was doing was completely natural.

"Um, Taisho-san? Pardon me, but what exactly are you working on?" She bravely attempted.

He was sorely tempted to say that it was none of her business but for some inexplicable reason he didn't. "An email to GetReal."

Rin's face instantly brightened and she forgot all about her soup. "Oh, you mean the super slick American portable video DVD player/recorder? We got rumors circulating around that they are going to be our client soon, but I could hardly believe it. It's HUGE," she enthused.

A ghost of a smile appeared on his beautiful face. "Oh?"

"Yessss! I'm dying to get into the creative team for this project! (Now that I'm not fired) Gosh, it's going to be so cool…" She trailed off when she realized what she was doing. "Um, I'm not… I'm not asking you to… you know. I-I mean, I'm just saying…" Her perplexed expression was so funny that Sesshoumaru had to bite the insides of his cheeks to keep his emotions in check. It was a strange feeling. He cleared his throat.

"Normally, I don't do the corresponding. I just manage stocks and shares. But this deal is too important for me not to handle personally."

Rin widened her eyes in shock at the ultra-long string of sentences she just heard coming from the stoic Sesshoumaru. He simply ignored her stare and continued typing. And typing…

Then, very suddenly and very unexpectedly, he actually said something out of his own accord.

"You are a junior marketing executive."

Was that a statement, or a question? It ended with a full stop, but still… whatever. Rin nodded in spite of her great surprise.

"How old are you?"

"I'm twenty-three…?"

"Your job scope?"

To say the least, she was startled. Was he giving her an INTERVIEW at three o'clock in the morning? This was a test after all! It's like one of those surprise interviews they give at leadership camps that wake you up in the middle of the night to catch you off guard and make you answer questions half asleep so that you would not remember model answers. HAH! She knew all about those. Well, she'll show him.

_Her_ answer was not the kind of textbook precise answers, but the kind that comes out from years of interest, experience and expertise. The following questions were answered in the same manner, and little by little the questions changed from interview-like to those of genuine interest...

-

Stepping out of the warm shower, Sesshoumaru grabbed the nearby white towel and wrapped it around his waist. He took another towel and dried his hair with it. Until now, he did not know exactly why he kept long hair, but he knew that he was definitely too busy to think of going into a salon to cut it. He had contemplated cutting it himself more than once, but he had done it before and it did absolutely nothing for his powerful businessman image. He for one did not care, but his publicist kept insisting he went into a salon to fix it. It caused a lot more trouble than simply going into a salon first so he decided never to cut it himself again. The idea, however, was getting more and more tempting as he struggled to dry it properly with the towel. He had never used a blow-dryer once in his life, but when his hair dried it always behaved itself. It was an enigma that he would never bother to investigate.

As he put on his work clothes, he thought about the strange events of that morning. Not only had he conversed with Murayama, he had actually enjoyed it immensely. Enjoyed it enough for the conversation to last until five in the morning. It was easy to talk to her, he realized. She was not boring like most of the women he had met. Oh, those women were intelligent. But they did not possess the charming informality or the delightful observations of Murayama Rin. He could not remember when he actually had such an interesting chat since… ever.

Sesshoumaru recalled what happened in the kitchen with utmost disbelief.

-

"Am I boring you?" That's what she had said.

No. Quite the opposite, as a matter of fact. "Murayama, why were you traveling on first class?" He knew that she knew that Taisho Corp., however rich, did not dispatch employees with first class tickets.

She stiffened. He could tell that it was an extremely sensitive topic for her and his curiosity peaked. Besides, he took a perverse pleasure in seeing her uncomfortable. For some unfathomable reason.

"Um… Ah… This air stewardess was really nice… and… I…"

He just stared at her unrelentingly. A while later he was positive he heard her say, "Oh, screw it".

-

Rin told him. And tell him she did. She actually told her own freaking boss that she screwed up on an assignment. She should have counted her lucky stars when Jaken didn't seem to know what happened and therefore she was able to keep her job. But nooooo, she just had to fill her 'big, BIG boss' in on the goings-on of her pitiful humiliating LIFE!

She was getting to the good part. "… and then I passed the can to him. I was going to warn him, I really was, but before I could open my mouth he had already popped the can open and _vwoooshhh_ it just cascaded down his head like a sugar waterfall and I ran away--I mean, if you were in my situation you would run too right? But it's like, so embarrassing I wanted to forget all about it before I got fired so I went to the airport bar and drunk myself silly and there was this really nice air stewardess, the one I told you about, who offered me a," she took a deep breath due to lack of oxygen, "… first class seat!"

The funny thing was, instead of being angry about the whole Mr. Dill fiasco, he was actually rather…consoling? His tone and everything was the same, but the things he said seemed to want to assure her. Was she imagining things?

"Did you know that Mr. Dill accepted your proposal?"

What?

"He called Jaken that day to tell him that it was all well and good. He even said your design was fantastic."

Double what??

"Murayama, at least 30 percent of the business world constitutes of image. If what you told me was true, then it was clearly his fault that he opened the can without thinking. There were witnesses, some not from his own company. They liked your proposal and already wanted to accept it. If Mr. Dill calls Jaken to fire you or reject your design, everyone will think that he is a foolish, self-centered liar. What happened was entirely his fault alone. Maybe you miscalculated his intelligence when you passed the can to him, but that is all. Everyone knows that soft drinks, when shaken, will produce gaseous pressure in the container."

Wow… was he _really_ comforting her? A funny warm feeling began settling in her stomach. (Maybe it was just the clam chowder, but she couldn't be absolutely sure.)

And that was a whole _paragraph_ of words! Not knowing where the conversation was going, she decided that it was best to change the subject about work. "Well, um, you seem to talk a lot more than you did before!" Geesh, what a stupid thing to say.

"I am not incapable of speech and may sometimes outdo myself."

Rin laughed at this, and it was such a melodious and fetching sound that Sesshoumaru himself could not help but smile a little. But that was enough to make her stop laughing, and return the smile. The most genuine, the most stunning smile he had ever seen.

Maybe he was tired. "You should go and get some sleep. There's work tomorrow."

"Right, you're right. Okay." Rin was a little disappointed. She felt so awake and she wanted to talk to this genius, sensitive man forever.

-

"THE SUN IS UP!! IT'S TIME TO PLAY!! THE SUN IS UP! IT'S TIME TO PLAY!! THE SUN IS UP!! IT'S TIME TO PLAY!!" The red MoMoLand rooster croaked.

Alright. Rin was anything, anything but awake. One and a half hours after she fell onto the bed, the alarm shrilled into the room. The worst thing was, Rin spent the better part of the rest of the night thinking about him (after brushing her teeth, of course). By the time she actually fell asleep, it was only one measly hour before her day was to start.

Fumbling for the offending timepiece, she somehow managed to hit it from the bedside table to her own head. And it hurt.

"Itai!!" That woke her up. Rin bounced up and stroked the bruise in her hair. Fully awake now, she reached for the red MoMo alarm clock and pressed down the crown of the rooster. Immediately it stopped its tirade of 'THE SUN IS UP!! etc." She breathed a sigh of relief and hoped that it didn't wake the whole household.

Scrambling out of the bed, she found that she was actually on time. Seven was the time set, and she actually managed to wake up at seven! Maybe mutilating oneself with the alarm clock is the way to go to begin a new day.

After she did the normal morning procedure (you know… peeing, etc), she took out a pink woolen shirt and a warm grey skirt. Flinging on a matching grey jacket—as it was rather cold that day—she began blowing her hair straight. After that, Rin just dabbed on her face some plain moisturizer and a few sweeps of watermelon pink lip balm and then she was good to go.

Seven twenty. Just brilliant!

-

"Aren't you going to have any breakfast, Sesshoumaru-san?" Kagome called out to Sesshoumaru's back as he walked towards the doorway.

Breakfast? Breakfast is for people who have time. Of course he wasn't—his train of thought got lost as Rin came down the stairs.

"Ohayogozaimasu!" she said cheerily to the occupants of the first level. Sesshoumaru tipped his head in reply and watched her as she kissed Kagome's cheek for making breakfast. And watched her as she sat down on the dining table.

Oh damn breakfast to hell. But he was staying.

-

Rin was undergoing a dilemma inside of her, unbeknownst to the other two at the dining table.

'Okay girl. Easy. Just go through your options.'

Option A:

I hurry through my breakfast and leave first. Which will probably be rude.

Option B:

I wait until Sesshoumaru finishes his breakfast and hope to get a ride. Which will probably be too presumptuous.

Option C:

I ask for a bloody ride. Not enough courage for that, however.

How now brown cow? She was never going to be able to get through this. Living with a male colleague was weird enough, but living with your boss is an emotional workout! Is the boss supposed to give you a ride to the office? She bit into her toast and bit her own finger instead. She had finished breakfast without knowing it. Kagome was washing the dishes, and Sesshoumaru… Sesshoumaru?

He was sitting down there, looking at her. He was done with his breakfast. If she had noticed, he had been done since five minutes ago. He suddenly stood up, took his briefcase, and walked out. As Rin watched him go with her mind in a haze, he turned around and said, "Are you coming?"

-

Being inside Sesshoumaru's car should be the strangest experience Rin ever had. She remembered not too long ago that she was just cursing the way he got in the car from the airport, the door opened by a chauffer. Oh yeah, where was his chauffer? Sesshoumaru was currently holding the wheel of the BMW. Wait a minute. The last time Rin saw him with a car at the airport, it was a Rolls Royce.

Not that she was complaining. Actually, she would have been rather reluctant to go into the Rolls because somehow it intimidated her. She would have felt rather small and poor in that car. This sleek silver BMW 7 Series sedan had more warmth. It was still a full-size luxury car, but it had the appearance of a classy home. Rin did not own a car, and had only been in Inuyasha's modest Honda and occasionally Sango's run-down Nissan. So this was pretty much a new experience.

"Uh, I would like to thank you for giving me a ride to work." She said as she fastened the seat belts. She noticed that his car had a very nice woodsy, masculine scent that seemed to be coming from him. Rin had to resist the temptation to sniff his neck, and blushed furiously at the thought.

"Your welcome." And he stepped on the pedal.

The pace that they were going at was so comfortable that before they reached the second traffic light, she was fast asleep. This did not go unnoticed by Sesshoumaru, and he, rather subconsciously, avoided any sort of bumpy road that could wake her up.

Ten minutes later, they were at their destination. He stopped in front of the building and turned to wake the fast asleep Rin. But he just couldn't. Not when her eyelashes cast dark shadows on her unpainted cheeks, and when her mouth was just very slightly open.

Begging to be kissed.

Where the hell did that thought come from? He thought furiously. So what if she was intelligent, warm and funny? That doesn't make her a goddamn candidate for your goddamn lust! Sesshoumaru was disgusted at himself. She was so young, so obviously naive, and here he was thinking of claiming her in the car!

But when had this started? He always knew she was pretty. She had nice features. But when, just when had he thought of her as _attractive_?

At that moment, Rin stirred from her sleep, wakened by the long pause from motion. She rubbed her eyes and looked around, oblivious to the fact that she was being scrutinized from head to toe. Running her fingers through her hair, she said, "We're here?" She looked at the car clock. According to her calculations, they should have been outside the building for at least five minutes already.

The words barely registered in his brain; he could not reply.

Not affected in the least (she must be getting used to him), she turned to him and caught him looking at her in a very strange manner. Pink tinged her cheeks as her ears warmed.

"Oh, sorry, do I sleep funny?" She giggled. Then, her face sobered, and her voice softened. "Thank you, Taisho-san. For letting me sleep awhile longer. And for offering me a ride." Then she gave him her smile. The one that was the most real and most beautiful.

Right then, he knew. And that confused the hell out of him.

-

A/N: Sorry for keeping you guys so long!!!! There is absolutely no excuse, but I sincerely apologize for the ridiculously long wait!! Please continue to support this story! Your reviews make my whole year!

P.S.: Just to clear things up, Sesshoumaru does not think that he loves Rin. He just knows that he is attracted to her. Love has NOT come into the equation yet.


	5. All In A Day's Work

**A Hitch in the Ladder**

Chapter 4: All In a Day's Work

-

Since they were pretty much the first people to arrive at work, Rin was sure that none had seen her coming out of Sesshoumaru's car. Even if they had, the BMW had darkened windows, which, in Rin's opinion, was a sign of the rich. Not only that, she was absolutely positive the whole car was bulletproof.

The last thing Rin wanted was office gossip about her relationship with the boss. If they asked why she was coming out of his car, she could say he was staying temporarily at his brother's house while she was camping over at her best friends place and her best friend was actually Sesshoumaru's brother's wife. But that was an _awfully_ complicated story, and would probably incur the wrath of those who were jealous. And then office gossip would then only involve _her_ being a lapdog of Sesshoumaru, or worse, a scheming bitch who jumped at the opportunity of hobnobbing with the very top guy. For sexual _and_ professional reasons.

So basically, Rin really, really wished no one would find out about their living arrangements. Or car-pooling arrangements. Or any sort of stupid arrangements.

She forced herself to think about something else while she prepared her desk for the day. Her date with Kohaku popped into her mind and she smiled, almost giggled, with girlish anticipation. What should she wear? She knew it would be casual; they were having dinner at a humble noodle stall. But still, a girl should think about these things. Rin really liked him very much, and felt that he was the sweetest and most honest guy she had ever met. Well, it was a rather big deduction over a few meetings, but Rin felt certain that he was the one who will sweep her off her feet.

Sometimes they would talk for a while, if the queue and time permitted so. In these conversations, he seemed so genuinely nice and sensitive that by the third cup of coffee she had a major crush on him. So when this nice-looking boy (as her stepmother would say), asked her out on an actual date (please refer to Chapter 2), she was ecstatic. It had been so _long_ since anyone had actually shown interest in her. She refused to think about the incident of the pervert on the train, as it definitely did not count.

The date was four days later, the same day when she could go back to her home with Tamon. She would go back after her date.

With that thought in mind, she slotted in the thumb drive and started work. Sesshoumaru came in a split second later, followed by Jaken who tried talking to him and catching up with him at the same time. They both disappeared behind the glass doors leading to the hallway of the private offices.

Rin chuckled. Sesshoumaru was completely ignoring Jaken in a way that made Rin feel like cheering. _Evil me_. So she concentrated on feeling sorry for Jaken.

She was close to succeeding just that through the third column of the spreadsheet when Sango strolled in, decked in a black business suit jacket and a flowing orange dress that reached her ankles. Her accessories were plentiful as usual, with huge golden earrings, Indian bangles and pointy no-heel beaded pumps. A bag that resembled a potato sack with handles draped off her shoulder, and Rin predicted that she was chewing her second packet of mint gum since the day started. For her, more is definitely better than less.

It was still half an hour till work officially started, so the office was relatively empty. Sango strolled leisurely until she reached her desk, which was next to Rin's.

"Morning, squirt."

"Good morning, Sango. You know, seriously, only you can pull that look off."

"What look? Anyway, I came early because I wanted to finish the concept I forgot to bring home. What's your excuse?" she took out the roll of big paper from underneath her desk and sharpened her pencil.

Rin gulped. "Is there really a need for an _excuse_ for being early?" she said in an unusually high-pitched voice. "But it's the same reason as you."

Sango stopped mid-sharpen and she turned to look at her friend. "Look, Rin, no offence but you really, _really_, cannot tell a lie. Now spill. What happened? Had hot sex last night and ran away in the morning? Come to think of it, you look like you didn't sleep a wink."

Rin had a George Washington moment (she had read the famous story of his honesty as a child just exposed to America). She fumbled for a while whether to tell Sango but then, what the hell. Sango was a long-time friend who would never betray others, even for office politics. In fact, she _hated_ office politics.

"Sango, you can't tell anyone about this."

"About what, honey?" She looked lazily confused, if such an expression actually existed.

"About what I'm going to tell you." Oh, now her look said 'spit it out' so Rin hurried on. "The water pipe at my building burst the other day, and so naturally I called Kagome to ask if I could bunk in for a few days. She said okay, and then nothing. So, I went over her house, dripping wet and on foot, and when I opened the door guess who I saw?"

Sango's attentive expression urged her to continue.

"I saw none other than Taisho-san holding my cat, Tamon! Can you believe it? He is actually Kagome's _brother-in-law_! Inuyasha did tell me about a relative working in my company, but when I asked him about it he always said that he worked in another branch far, far way. Oh, that's funny! Why not we try looking at the _CEO office of the headquarters_?! Inuyasha doesn't like his brother, you see, so he hates to talk about him."

"No dear, that's not the point. The point is, you got to spend the night with such a fine specimen of mankind? You lucky bitch, you."

"Hello, we were in different rooms. But I'll tell you something else you might find interesting, Sango."

"What? _What_?"

"I saw him _half-naked_! Even though it took a little bit of embarrassment on my part, it was quite worth it."

"Waist up or down?" She demanded.

"Up…"

"Oh well, guess you can't have everything. So, how was it 'quite worth it'?"

"His shoulders were broad, his biceps were the most beautiful things I've ever seen, his flat stomach had a solid six-pack of pure muscle. Absolute perfection."

"Oh my god, I think I'm going to swoon."

Before Rin could reply, she caught the scent of Chanel. The scent of evil.

"Shucks, Kagura is here. Can't talk now, she'll rat us out."

Sango groaned and turned to her desk.

Sure enough, Kagura walked in a few seconds later, and in Rin's opinion a few seconds too late. She must have been eavesdropping, the little sneak. But Rin was certain that they had been talking in whispers, and she probably only caught on a little bit about shoulders and six-packs. I mean, come on, they could have been talking about the human anatomy and beer.

At the same time. Right.

But so what, actually? Men are always the main topic of girl-talk. There was nothing to feel guilty about. And Kagura did not look very smug, she just looked grumpily polished today in her skintight blazer and alpha skirt. If she had heard something worth ruining one's life about, she would have definitely looked happier.

The woman barely gave the two of them a glance before she sat down, out of sight in the office cubicle.

Rin opened her Messenger and motioned for Sango to do the same. She felt a little silly talking to somebody just beside her through the Internet, but it was necessary. Rin was quite surprised at how she managed to describe Sesshoumaru's body so well. She always thought she was kind of shy in these matters. But now that she had experienced first-hand what it was like to get her hormones zapping all over her brain, she simply had to tell someone else about it. And who was better for this than man-eater Sango?

Rin: So now you know why I can't tell this to anyone, right? They will surely kill me when they find out I'm 'sleeping' with the boss.

3GO: Sigh… I hate office politics.

Rin: I know, that's why I told you. You are the only one here whom I can trust, you know?

3GO: Aw, that's sweet, girl.

Rin: That's why I'm going to tell you something else.

3GO: What? Spill!

Rin: The reason why I look like I haven't slept for the whole night is because I haven't. I woke up at 2 AM and went down to the kitchen. I found Mr. X there working on his laptop and I don't know what happened, we just talked until the clock ticked 5.

3GO: WHAT?! As in, 5 AM?

Rin: Yeah… I was doing a lot of the talking, but still he was very nice and I think I was wrong about him being cold and all that. Then I just couldn't stop thinking about it until my alarm rang and I wondered if it was all a dream. But he sent me to work this morning.

3GO: That's unexpectedly chivalrous of him. So what now? Do you fancy him or what?

Rin: NO! I have a date on Saturday with Kohaku. Don't you remember him?

3GO: Oh, yeah. Nice boy. Bit of a difference though.

Rin: That was SO mean.

3GO: I live for it, darling. Why don't we put off this discussion until lunch? I've got this stupid concept to finish by today, remember?

Rin: Okay, sorry, bye!

3GO: Ciao baby.

Rin shut off her messenger just in time before Jaken crept over to her cubicle. She pretended to wait for Adobe to start up while arranging her paperwork. Jaken cleared his throat and Rin yelped more in fear than in mock surprise. The shaking fingers gave her away. She cursed under her breath. Why couldn't she even playact a little?

"Yes Jaken sir, I didn't realize you were already here. Good morning sir."

The tiny froggy boss peered at her suspiciously. Rin knew that he was short, but my goodness, he barely needed to bend his head to look at her when she was sitting down! She gave a wan, hopeful smile.

"What were you doing?"

"Um… It's nothing. I was communicating with my clients."

Thank goodness he left it at that.

"Well, Taisho-sama wants to see you. Run along now."

Sparing a quick glance to Sango, who was already staring wide-eyed at her, Rin nodded her head and bowed respectfully. "Thank you very much sir. I'll be there in a moment."

Jaken grunted and resumed peeking through every one's cubicle.

Rin sat back down and turned to Sango. "What should I do now?"

"Primp, of course. Do you want to freshen up your lipstick?"

Rin was not wearing any lipstick, but she took out her lip balm and gave her lips a little swipe. She minimized the slightly oily effect by running her tongue across her lips. She gave her hair a little finger combing and stood up.

"Good luck!" called Sango from behind her.

-

Rin entered the corridor of Sesshoumaru's office. She had come here before, but didn't have the time or the composure to fully appreciate the surroundings. Rin's side of the office was not in any way shabby or less than comfortable, but Sesshomaru's level was absolutely magnificent. A maroon carpet rolled luxuriantly toward the mahogany door of the room, and the floor that was uncovered was gleaming marble with borders of intricate copper patterns. The hallway was huge.

Jaken's office door was at an embarrassing corner while Sesshomaru's office was at the center of the end of the hallway. Rin could not imagine what her boss' real office was like, if this one, the one he visited so little, was nothing short of luxurious.

She knocked on the door, albeit hesitantly, and got an answer about 10 seconds later.

"Come in."

The door opened with no noise whatsoever, unlike the one in her apartment. Her heels sunk in the carpet while she walked (waded) her way towards the 7-foot wide teak desk. It was irritatingly neat, with a few pieces of important-looking documents arranged properly beside the 17-inch laptop. Sesshoumaru was seated in the middle. He was typing furiously on his computer. Rin noticed that he looked just as handsome with his spectacles on.

He stopped typing and snapped the laptop shut. Taking off his frameless glasses, he raised his head to look at her.

Rin steadied her heartbeat. "Good morning, sir. I heard from Jaken that you needed me."

Sesshoumaru glibly replied, "Since we already exchanged pleasantries this morning, I presume it unnecessary to repeat ourselves. Take a seat."

She obeyed, sitting on one of the leather chairs in front of the desk.

"Murayama-san, do you have anything scheduled for the next two days?"

Rin ran through the dates in her mind. Wednesday and Thursday were free. "No sir, I have nothing on for both days."

"Good. Then you will accompany me on a trip to Paris as my PA."

"Personal Assistant? Pardon me, sir, but don't you already have one?"

"I don't work with assistants, only secretaries. My secretaries are currently in London. Also, the objective of you coming is not to hound me with calls nor take down messages, but it is an opportunity for you to establish some contacts from France to Japan. I don't normally work in Japan, but you do."

"…Jaken…?" It was getting harder to breathe, let alone to speak. Two whole days in Paris, the city of romance, and with the hottest guy on earth? This was shouting "Danger!"

"What do you mean, "Jaken"?"

"I meant, why not choose Jaken? He is the head of our company here after all. It would be wiser to choose someone of a higher position for an assignment of this importance." Wow! An entire string of coherent words!

"It is precisely because the contacts in France are so important that I send you with me. Jaken has no command of the French language whatsoever, and according to him you are the only one who is fluent in English, French and Latin. If you perform well, you will get a promotion to Marketing Executive."

Rin mentally thanked her dearly missed stepmother for home-schooling her. Once again, she was picked for an overseas trip based on her language skills, one that could grant her a promotion and make her father proud.

"Thank you for this wonderful opportunity, Taisho-san."

"Your welcome." Then he added, "I was beginning to think I would be 'sir' forever."

Rin flushed and looked down. Did Sesshoumaru just make a joke?

"Pack your things and we will set off for the airport at four in the morning. Our flight is at 6. We will arrive in the morning over there. We will be going to some formal functions, so pack accordingly. I'll explain the situation on the plane, and give you your briefing. Our potential business clients involve Vergo the mobile phone company, Grazia Chocolate and some others. These are the major ones." He took a piece of paper from the table and gave it to her.

"Thank you. I'll definitely look into it. Uh… I don't know how to say this, but I don't own any formal clothing…" Rin would borrow from Kagome if she could, or even Sango, but neither of them was remotely near her petite size.

"Take this." A freshly written check was laid on the table. "Get the rest of the day off and buy something." Before Rin could protest, she was ushered out of the room by an insistent Sesshoumaru.

To say Rin was flabbergasted was an understatement; her mouth was still hanging open when she returned to her cubicle. Needless to say, everyone in the office had heard about her trip to see the boss and they were dying to know what the hell happened pronto. But Sango was first to hear the news.

"I can see that you have no fillings in your teeth, and that's very good, but you need to shut your mouth NOW. Then, you can finally tell me what's going on."

For the umpteenth time in this annoying piece of fan fiction, Rin had to find the hinges of her jaw to press her lips together. She then cleared her throat, because it was feeling dry from all that excitement.

"…I…have to go."

"Go? But it's barely ten o'clock in the morning!"

After she told Sango the reason why she could go at ten in the morning (she had to buy a dress), and the reason for _that_ reason (she was going to Paris with Sesshoumaru ON A BUSINESS TRIP), Sango's mouth was just as wide open.

She left the office, uncertain of what to do next. On the bus to Kagome's house she dug for her wallet and took out the carefully preserved check. She had folded it in half, not daring to see the amount written on it. Looking around to make sure there were no prying eyes, she opened the fold and looked at the elegant numbers in the box.

And screamed.

Well, to her credit, what came out of her mouth was more like a small yelp, but her brain was screaming. Her mind was in overload. She squinted her eyes to check the number of zeroes again, but it was no use. She was right the first time.

Sesshoumaru had just given her five hundred thousand yen. That was about three months of her salary.

Rin stood up and got ready get down the bus and go back to the office, but just then her cell phone rang. It was Kagome.

"Kagome?" Rin said into the phone after she flipped it open, a little tremor evident in her voice.

"Rin? I just heard from Sesshoumaru some _wonderful_ news. A trip to Paris! How absolutely romantic!"

"Uh… romantic?" she dumbly replied, still a bit in shock.

"Yes, isn't it? He called to ask me to help you pick a dress, since I'm so _terribly_ free and everything, washing everyone's clothes, mopping the floor and so on. But don't get me wrong. I'm dying to go shopping with you!"

Rin panicked. "Well, Kagome, that's just it. I'm fine with going shopping, but I'm not comfortable with the amount of money he gave me. Listen, its 50-_man_ yen we're talking about. I didn't want to accept it in the first place, except that this was work-related, so it seemed appropriate enough, but I had no idea he was going to write three months of my salary into it! I'm going back to the office right now to make amends."

"Don't be silly Rin! Calm down and stop babbling. It would be horribly rude and a huge waste of time if you did that. He can afford it so just be a good girl and come to mama now."

"Mama?"

"Yes. Get your cute butt right here so I can take you to go shopping."

-

Rin _never_,_ ever_ went shopping without Kagome, with the exception of her stepmother. Her first shopping trip to buy clothes, at the age of fourteen, was with her, followed by every single one during her later years. The only time when Kagome was not needed was when she was buying groceries or shampoo. You may think, 'Doesn't Rin have any _other_ friends?' The answer is yes. However, she never bought anything without Kagome's approval.

See, Kagome was an extremely talented friend. She had several degrees under her belt, including one for Fashion Studies and strangely another for Psychology. That automatically made her know exactly what to buy for the exact occasions, and made her very much above Rin in that aspect of knowledge. Kagome never minded using her abilities to help Rin because in turn, Rin, being the mature and wise and kind one, would always lend a listening ear to Kagome's problems and dish out priceless advice.

Right now Kagome was thinking about how funny it was that even though Rin was normally a very perceptive and wise person (though albeit clumsy), she couldn't solve her own problems or assemble her own thoughts. She sneaked a smile.

Rin, following Kagome into a high-end shopping center, caught her friend's dubious grin and demanded to know what she was thinking.

"Oh, I was just thinking about how lovely you and Sesshoumaru-san look together." She lied smoothly, enjoying the color spreading on Rin's face.

"Um, Kagome, don't get any silly ideas, okay? It's purely a business trip. When I get back, I'll be preparing myself for a date with Kohaku-san, the one I really like."

The married woman mentally scoffed. Yeah right. "Kohaku being the one working as a café cashier?" She said instead.

"Yes, I told you about him. You saw him once, too. I brought you there. Isn't he cute?" This time, Kagome didn't doubt that Rin really liked Kohaku, strangely, more than she like Sesshoumaru. There was a girlish note in her voice that didn't happen unless she was in a crush.

Kagome finally gave up trying to think of Rin and Sesshoumaru together. As her best friend, she had to give the fullest support to whomever Rin chose, even though she knew a much better choice. From what she had seen and heard, Kohaku wasn't a jerk or a criminal, so there should be no problem between them, right?

But Kagome had seen the rare warmth in Sesshoumaru's eyes when he was looking at Rin that morning. The mischievous part of her desperately wanted to give her stoic brother-in-law the most unforgettable business trip of his life.

Just by choosing the right dresses for Rin.

-

Three hours later, they came out of the mall with shopping bags filled with new makeup, accessories, shoes, expensive casual wear and two even more expensive boxed dresses.

Kagome looked satisfied; Rin looked exhausted.

"All this," she panted, "For two days?"

"Of course not! All of them are investments for future occasions."

At first, Rin had protested strongly against buying dresses that cost more than her bed, because she was planning to return the rest of the money to Sesshoumaru. Kagome almost snapped her head off for suggesting that. She described returning the money as 'uncouth' and 'crude' actions of refusing a perfectly reasonable gift. Then when Rin said she wanted to save some of the money for the future, Kagome did relent and bought cheaper jewelry after that.

All in all, Rin was quite pleased because after all that stuff, she still had about a third of her money left. Kagome was also a very good price judge. She somehow managed to keep to the budget Rin stated.

However, she was dead on her feet by the time she got home. She took a quick nap to conserve her energy for later and when she woke up she immediately started packing. She used Kagome's smallest suitcase (which wasn't quite that small actually), and finished packing everything except her toiletries within the hour. She then called Shippo the repairman and electrician, who gave her an update on what was fixed and what was still broken in her own apartment. Rin gave him the number that she would have in France in case something went wrong. Shippo was a very trustworthy friend whom she had known for six years. She thanked him profusely for the trouble and mentally decided to use some of Sesshoumaru's gift money to tip Shippo for being a temporary caretaker.

She called Sango to ask her to cover what's going on at work and bid some goodbyes. Rin made another mental note to get her colleague something nice in Paris. She then fed her cat Tamon and gave him all the attention he needed because she wouldn't be able to cuddle him for the next couple of days.

It was three o'clock in the afternoon. She had some time.

"Kagome, can I borrow your computer?" After getting an affirmative answer, she took out her notebook and pencil and went to the Mac in the living room. Both Kagome and Rin were artists in a way so they chose Apple as their preferred system because it was darn convenient and creative. Inuyasha, on the other hand, used the PC in their bedroom because he could not figure out how to use the bloody Macintosh.

-

Inuyasha discovered for the first time that when Rin worked, she was almost a completely different person. It was his turn to clear the dishes, so while he scrubbed grease off a plate he craned his neck to stare at the woman who was scribbling furiously in her ragged inch-thick notebook and reading from the computer screen at the same time, a deep line of concentration etched between her eyebrows. During dinner she seemed to be far away and after finishing her meal she hurriedly excused herself (being as polite as usual) and went back to the Mac next to the TV.

He saw his wife coming into the kitchen and smiled at her. She smiled back.

"Thanks honey. Need any help?"

"No, its okay," he replied. "I was just wondering what has gotten to Rin. Does she always work at home like that?"

"Actually yes, but today she is working especially hard because she has a huge assignment tomorrow. She's researching in detail the potential clients and their market so that she can have a good picture of they work and then work her magic on them."

"Wow, I'm impressed. I didn't know that clumsy oaf was like that at work. What assignment is she working on? I, as a businessman myself, might be interested."

"Uh, she's going to Paris tomorrow for two days with Sesshoumaru."

"She WHAT?!"

"Calm down, honey. He isn't so bad, you know."

He took a few deep breaths, then gave her a kiss at the temple. "Sorry. It was the reflex thoughts that have been occurring since childhood. So what in the Devil's name are they going to be doing in France?"

"Business, of course. He just called to say he'll be late in coming home. Don't worry, I gave him a spare key."

"I'm more worried about Rin being alone with him for two days than about him standing outside all friggin' night."

-

When Sesshoumaru returned at ten, he was surprised to see Rin in front of the computer with a cup of cold coffee on the table and a thick notebook in her hand. Deciding not to make any sound, he approached her and noticed that she was actually taking down notes regarding the marketing strategies of the companies listed in that piece of paper. She was so absorbed into her work that she did not even hear him come in. He scowled at the danger but his frown smoothened out when he thought about her dedication.

Walking softly upstairs, he switched his thoughts to the upcoming Paris trip. Normally he went completely alone. However, he had heard Jaken eagerly bragging about Rin's linguistic achievements and he could not help himself. One of the reasons why he decided to bring her to one of the world's most important congregations of business people was honestly to give her a chance. He had looked into her previous projects and assignments and thought that she was brilliant for a woman so young. Taisho Corp. was a large company dealing with many things from finance to real estate, but Sesshoumaru was thinking of expanding the marketing side of the company, which was doing especially well in Japan, seemingly thanks to Nakamura Rin. In a way he was grooming her for something bigger.

But the other reason… the other reason he would not be able to know until he took her to Paris.

-

A/N: I am so sorry to leave you at that, but I swear the next chapter will have all the Rin and Sess you can swallow. Actually, I haven't actually told you guys the reason why he came to Japan. Next chapter, next chapter.

And I realized I made a horrible mistake with Rin's name. I changed Rin's name from Nakamura to Murayama in these two chapters! Well. I'm changing it back to Nakamura. I'm too lazy to go back and edit, because it is 4 AM and I'm dead. If there are any major mistakes anywhere just give me a heads up.

By the way, 50-man yen is fifty-ten thousand yen in Japanese, so its 500,000. I have done some research, and yes it is 3 months salary for a girl with a job like Rin's. It is about 4000-plus USD. It may seem too little to buy so much, but I assure you it's possible. Also don't worry, I've taken into consideration the time difference in France, so I have done the necessary calculations.

Thank you so much for your support and I really can't open my eyes anymore. Nobody beta reads my stuff, so please don't flame for typos and errors!

Love you! Please review after reading!

MP


	6. Premiere

**A Hitch in the Ladder Chapter 6**

_Première: 'First Night'_

A/N: Third year into this fic, with a whopping six chapters! Champagne, anyone? Here's a long one to make up for lost time.

-

Rin actually managed to get two hours of sleep before the MoMo alarm clock under her pillow (she wanted to muffle the noise in case the whole household woke up) started buzzing under her head at precisely three in the morning. She left the bathroom twenty minutes later after her morning shower, took the clothes she planned to wear from the rack and put them on in a frenzied hurry. She didn't know if Taisho-san had woken up, but she planned to leave her room as soon as possible. Sealing her toothbrush and other toiletries into a Ziploc bag, she stuffed it into her distressed leather sling. She had bought the brown bag in a little vintage boutique for a great bargain and it was her favorite.

Snapping Kagome's luggage handle into place, she towed it out of the room and found herself, once again, smacked into a wall. Learning from her past mistakes, she quickly recovers and stutters a feeble, "G-good morning, Taisho-san." The 'wall' smoothly stepped back and returned the greeting with a nod.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, I am, sir."

A look of annoyance barely flashed across his eyes but Rin thought she could have imagined it. What could she have said to annoy him anyway?

He took her suitcase with one hand and carried it downstairs as if he were carrying a… a roll of paper napkins. Rin could not help but admire his physique from behind. He was wearing a pair of faded dark gray denim pants and a black shirt with three buttons undone. She swallowed.

Regaining her sanity, Rin followed Sesshoumaru downstairs and was surprised to see Kagome already in the living room giving Tamon his morning cuddle. "Kagome! Why did you wake up so early?"

"To send you guys off, of course. Wait here, I've prepared something for both of you." She then hurried into the kitchen doorway. Sesshoumaru had put down Rin's suitcase in the hall along with his small Samsonite. He proceeded to take out his cell phone from his briefcase and made a call. When he hung up Kagome came out, this time holding two bento boxes.

"I figured both of you would have a long drive to the airport in your limo, since you don't take the Narita express like normal people. So, I took the liberty to make some traditional Japanese breakfast. There's no miso soup, but God knows you won't be able to eat this in Paris."

Rin hugged her friend tightly and accepted the two lunchboxes. "I'll only be gone for a couple of days, but this is so sweet of you, Kagome! Thank you so much."

Sesshoumaru opted to give a brotherly kiss on her cheek instead. "Thank you, Kagome-san, for your kind hospitality. I will ask the chauffer to return these to you afterwards."

"I will appreciate it if you do. Now, run along before you miss the flight!" She shooed them to the doorway, where Sesshoumaru picked up both suitcases (much to Rin's dismay) and they all went out into the morning cold.

Beyond the yard was a sleek black limousine the length of Rin's apartment. She was still gaping when the driver, a middle-aged man in uniform and gloves, came out of the 'car' and took their luggage. Sesshoumaru was slightly amused by her reaction, but he opened the car door for her and gestured for her to enter with nothing except a cool expression on his face. Bowing her thanks, Rin climbed into the vehicle and tried not to gasp at the sleek interior and the soft plush seating. Sesshoumaru climbed in after her and then she was suddenly aware of how small her surroundings were. He was so tall that it might have been difficult to imagine him getting in without faulting, but he managed it with panther-like grace. When he sat opposite her his legs were quite close to her denim-covered ones.

'So much for the limo…'

Commanding her heart to be still, she gave a last wave to Kagome (even though she knew her friend could not see through the tinted windows) and then looked for a seatbelt.

Sesshoumaru located one for her and while he did he bent over, his long silver locks tickling her neck and his aftershave clouding her mind. When she was safely belted her face was a light shade of pink and her breathing was just a little quicker than normal. This did not go unnoticed, and his mouth twitched upwards.

"Ah… well! So let us partake in our morning meal, shall we?" She practically sang with faux cheerfulness.

After a while the empty bento boxes were packed away in the bag that came with it and Rin was quite uncertain about what to say next because having two people doing nothing in a car without a conversation did not work for her. She need not have worried. Immediately after eating Sesshoumaru took out his Blackberry and set it on a table that popped out of nowhere. The table was angled to the right so Rin could actually see his face quite clearly.

"Do you want some drinks? I have refreshments in the fridge."

Rin wanted to say, Fridge? What fridge? But she decided against it and tried to be a little smarter by attempting a guess at the cooler's location.

It seemed like she pondered too much because Sesshoumaru, once again, leaned forward so that she could detect his woodsy scent. No actually he leaned forward to show her where the refreshments were. "The fridge is here." He tapped at the veneered wall to her left and voila, a black Fujitsu fridge was revealed, along with so many kinds of sparkling crystal beverage ware that it made her dizzy.

"Uh… thank you." Out of pure curiosity she opened the fridge door and almost gasped out loud at the variety of soft drinks. Talk about cars with bars! It was like... a rainbow. Within the fridge there was a tiny wine cooler, where dozens of cute little wine bottles that would cost her a month's worth of salary resided. Feeling a little overwhelmed, she decided that she would rather omit her drink than ruin such a perfect arrangement. She resolutely tapped the 'wall' back shut.

Sesshoumaru was apparently watching her because he immediately asked "Would you like some coffee then? There's a machine over there." He pointed at yet another wall at the other end of the limo.

Coffee sounded good and so she unbuckled her seat belt and ventured to the far end of the limo, feeling like she had just covered the diameter of her bedroom. Tapping the wall there she was quite astonished to find a state-of-the-art espresso machine instead of the normal tiny pathetic one in her office. She should have known. "Want some, Taisho-san?"

He shook his head. He was still gazing at her with a sort of amused look.

Moving back to her original position with the steaming mug of black coffee (she added lots of sugar), she decided to do some work while the limo was still moving on the expressway. Unzipping her leather bag she took out a thick book regarding marketing design and also a red pen and left the mug on a handy cup tray at her side.

While she flipped to the chapter on infomercials, Rin contemplated about her situation. Though she thought she could call Sesshoumaru and herself 'friends' after the deep conversation they had two nights ago, she didn't want to act too informally towards him, lest her boss get the wrong idea. A trip for two to Paris was too potentially romantic. She decided to act proper and all so that he would know she had no designs on him.

Before Rin knew it they were stopping in front of the terminal. Checking in for Sesshoumaru, she realized, was a huge breeze because they did not have to queue at all. As they walked into the spacious aisle of the plane she marveled at her own luck. It was only her third time flying and it was already her second time on first class (A 66.67 rate!).

"We'll get there in the afternoon, on the same day." He told her as they settled into their seats. "Do you know our schedule?"

"Yes, of course sir. We will be having the Annual International Business Seminar at the hotel at four, followed by dinner with the directors of Meure Holdings at L'Espadon at seven and finally a cocktail party at the Hotel de Crillon at nine-thirty." She had come prepared as his personal assistant. "Your script and other paperwork are suitably arranged for the seminar. Would you like me to go through the agenda for the meeting and the dinner?"

"Thank you. We'll do that after lunch. You must be tired." He then whipped out the Blackberry and promptly started emailing another associate.

She wasn't tired, she was nervous. She had done her research on the AIBS, and it was no casual affair. Only a hundred delegates or so are invited to the exclusive event, and agreements worthy of history textbooks have been signed ever since its beginnings in the early 1900s. Taisho Corp has been a delegate since Sesshoumaru's father's 'reign' twenty years ago. This was no time to screw up. Still, it was Sesshoumaru who would do most of the talking. She stole a glance at him and marveled at the fact that he didn't look the slightest bit worried. Though her boss rarely 'looked' anything, she still doubted that there was a single bit of anxiety inside him.

'How can he be so relaxed? How can he–' she was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed that she was already thirty thousand feet above the ground. Momentarily forgetting to worry, she admired the view of the sea. After the air stewardess asked for her choice of drink (she ordered orange juice), Rin took out the seminar agenda and went through it once more. She could probably recite it in her sleep now.

-

Rin was still sipping the orange juice three hours later when she heard him shut the Blackberry beside her.

"Déjà vu…" She heard him mutter. She turned from her paperwork and found him staring at her. A smirk ghosted his lips.

"What?" The orange juice paused halfway towards her mouth. Did he mean…

"I was just thinking of the first time we met." He was still staring, his face remaining passive. She flushed deeply at his words, not only because he had reminded her of the mortifying incident, but also because of his intimate choice of words.

He went on. "Your hands… they were very active weren't they?"

"Sir, I must apologize again. I-" She stopped at the now stern expression on his oh-so-perfect face. "What is it, sir?"

"You-"

An air stewardess chose this moment to ask what they would have for lunch: crawfish raviolis or a deboned young pigeon.

They both picked the pasta.

-

Hadn't he told her that he did not like her calling him 'sir'? It was downright annoying, the way she seemed almost servile towards him. It reminded him of Jaken.

'You're not the maid!' He had wanted to tell her. But, deep down, Sesshoumaru knew that he was acting irrationally. It was perfectly normal for an employee of her position to address the employer as such. Still. He simply did not like it.

After the crawfish, he saw her take out the blasted agenda again. As she sir-ed and may-we-please-go-through-the-agenda-ed, he almost wanted to say, no, he would not want to go through it; can we talk about something else please?

Like how when you smile you make me think perverted thoughts?

But she was not smiling now. She looked more willing to jump off Mount Thor than to lift the corners of her mouth, she seemed so nervous. He cleared his throat. "Yes."

He had barely given her a day's notice, but apparently she had already memorized the entire report for the seminar as well as his speech. Soon he found out that she remembered the names of every single delegate_._

He waited until there was a pause in their conversation before he decided to have a little fun with her.

"Who's the chief secretary of Hoffman Enterprises?"

"Klaus Schmidt, 34 years old. Entered the company in 2000. He received the company award for 'Most Valued Employee' last month."

"_You memorized the __**life histories**__ of the secretaries?_"

She flushed. "Well, not life histories exactly, more like company backgrounds."

"_Every_ one of them?"

"…Well I was curious…"

To say the least, he was flabbergasted. None of his real secretaries would go this far even in a week's notice. She wasn't even a secretary! He couldn't help being highly amused at her efforts. The poor girl looked so anxious that Sesshoumaru didn't dare laugh. He opted for a discreet cough instead, but even that did not escape her notice.

"Are you sick, sir? Do you need me to cancel—"

"I'm fine. Sleep, now. You'll need the energy later." He steeled his face and put took out the newspaper.

"But are you sure—"

He shot the woman his best death glare. "Nakamura, if you don't sleep now, I'll fire you. No, I'll throw you off the plane."

She froze, stared at him to make sure he wasn't joking, and obediently turned over and shut her eyes.

-

_Rin dutifully distributed the can of soft drink to every delegate present. She gave her best Marketing Executive to-be smile and announced, "Everyone, this is our sample product. Please go ahead and open it if you wish."_

'_No! No! Don't open it! YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN!!' Screamed an inner voice. Too late. Huge bursts of multi-colored fizz sprayed all over the papers, all over the Louis XV desks, and all over the faces of the hundred most powerful people in the business world, as listed in Forbes March 2008._

_Then, voices._

_First, her step-mother: "Rin, all that hours of my life I sacrificed to give you French lessons… and this is how you repay me?"_

_Next, her father: "You shame me, child."_

Loudest of all was Sesshoumaru Taisho: "You were the wrong person to bring on this trip… I wanted to give you a chance but like I had always thought you are nothing but a clumsy country bumpkin. Nakamura, You. Are. Fired."

Rin yelped and her eyes shot open. She was breathing hard, so hard that her throat was awfully dry. She whipped her head around to find that the seat next to her was empty. What happened? Had they landed? Did Sesshoumaru abandon her? Did he decide that she was—?

No. Don't be silly Rin. How can that be? Other people are still on the plane. You're thirty-thousand feet in the air. Sesshoumaru's Blackberry is still here, he'd never leave without it.

All these rational thoughts did nothing to give her peace of mind. The nightmare of her screwing up felt too real. She could see it happening.

'I need to… I need to wash my face.' She resolutely stood up and made her way to the bathroom when the bathroom door opened to reveal Sesshoumaru. He took in the sweat dotting her forehead, the disheveled appearance and the panic in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" His voice was so full of sincere concern, she wanted to cry.

"Nothing, just a little cold feet, that's all." The fake smile didn't fool him, but she brushed past and entered the bathroom before he could say anything.

When she went back to her seat, there was a glass of something on the small table.

"Sweet sherry. Drink it. It'll calm your nerves. We'll be landing in half and hour."

She accepted the drink gratefully. It helped.

-

"AH!" Rin exclaimed when she left the counter. "Wasn't this airport Jean Reno's movie 'Wasabi'?!" She said as she tottered to keep up with Sesshoumaru's long strides. He slowed down.

"Was it really? I didn't notice, though of course it must have been in Charles de Gaulle." He said with a smile.

"You watched 'Wasabi'? You like Jean Reno? Isn't he the coolest French actor ever?" As they walked out of the airport, they chatted away (or at least she did most of the talking) and for the first time in this trip she looked forward to France.

No amount of research could have prepared Rin for Paris. Within the Mercedes Benz she gobbled in the sights of the city.

"Never been to Paris?" She turned to find him staring at her (as usual) and smiled sheepishly when she realized she had been positively glued to the car window.

"No, I've never been. Actually, London was my first trip outside of Japan."

"Oh? Then how is it, according to Jaken, you can speak French like a native?"

"My step-mother was a language teacher. She home-schooled me. It's pretty hard to forget the language when you were forced to read Victor Hugo's original Les Misérables."

An eyebrow rose. So she grew up in an unconventional childhood. This does explain the refreshingly unconventional, non-Japanese behavior.

Sesshoumaru took the liberty to introduce her to all the sights on the way to the hotel and even lowered to windows so that she could experience the aroma of Parisian air. They exchanged stories and on occasion she even made him laugh. With a pang, Rin realized that she, just like she had two nights ago, felt this strange connection with him, as if they had been together forever. He wasn't talking much, in fact he contributed probably 9 of the conversation, but she felt, with him, that this was normal. As they talked and walked into the hotel, she almost felt like she should… hold his hand or something.

Rin suddenly detected a huge atmosphere change. She frowned, and paused mid-sentence in her reply to his question about her father.

And then she finally looked around her.

"Wha ir… hirh plahe (what is this place)?" She didn't enunciate because her teeth don't seem to be able to meet. For a moment she thought she was in one of the English classics that her mother made her read. Everything came upon her at once; the sleek tapestry, the colossal chandelier, the Empire furniture that radiated luxury, and she had never seen so many kinds of flowers in her life.

A tall, elderly man in a suit stood in front of them and he reminded her remarkably of the butler in American Batman comics.

"Bienvenue à Hôtel Ritz Paris, Monsieur Taisho, Madame Nakamura." His nod made her think of a well-oiled machine. "Parlez-vous anglais ou français?"

Rin recovered just in time. "French would be perfect, merci."

He warmed up considerably. The French did like to speak only French after all. "I believe you have requested for two suites exécutive? This way please." Two? Did he just say two?! She was going to have a suite all by herself?! She knew that they were staying at the Ritz, but firstly she had no idea the Ritz in Paris would be so different from the Ritz in Tokyo and secondly she thought she would, at the very most, get a junior room. She felt (irrationally) guilty that all this was going to be paid for by the company.

Upon reaching her roo…suite first, Sesshoumaru instructed her to be ready in fifteen minutes; they were to be in the Salon Louis XV by three fifty.

If there was one thing she was proud of, it was her promptness. By the time she had fixed her hair into a bun, changed into the same brown suit that she had worn in London and applied some simple cosmetics she was still five minutes too early. She decided to explore.

It was unreal. The bathroom alone was out of this world. The bathtub was huge; the faucets were all engraved into golden swans, and she didn't think the gold was electroplated. There were two bells on the wall, one for the valet and the other for the maid. A dish with little perfumes of all kinds sat between the two sinks, and a vase of peach tulips and orchids was placed beside the tub. The whole place had a womanly feel to it, and she was certain that the hotel staff had specially prepared the room for a woman.

Rin had just finished sampling a sweet-smelling perfume when the 'doorbell' rang and she quickly took her briefcase and opened the door. Sesshoumaru was decked in his usual two-piece suit and silk tie, which should not have made her heart beat faster but it did. He was holding his laptop case as well, his expression all business.

"Ready?"

"Yes sir." She replied with equal seriousness. She realized that she meant it.

-

The seminar was held Versailles style, due to the arrangement of the Salon. The secretaries and co-directors all sat behind their respective head honcho, complete with their own desks and refreshment. Halfway into Sesshoumaru's speech, she heard someone whisper in English into her ear.

"Mr. Taisho is an excellent speaker."

It was none other than Klaus Schmidt, who by pure coincidence had a seat beside Rin's. They had introduced themselves in the beginning of the seminar ("Mr. Schmidt? I've heard so much about you!"), but hadn't conversed since. She was too busy taking notes and giving Sesshoumaru data.

Rin beamed at him. "Thank you." She saw him smile back and relaxed. Her job here was to establish contacts and what better way to begin than to make friends with Mr. Most Valuable Employee from one of the biggest engineering companies in the world?

Sesshoumaru finished his speech, and even though she had seen the speech on paper so many times, nothing compared to watching Sesshoumaru say it. 'You wouldn't expect him to be a performer,' she smiled wryly to herself. But perform he did. He appeared every bit the powerful, high-flying entrepreneur he was while she was just some small-time junior marketing executive working under him. The connection she had felt with him when they had conversed seemed so impossible. She doubted they could really be friends, their common relationships with Kagome and Inuyasha notwithstanding. She really needed to suppress that ridiculous crush she had somehow developed for him.

As tea break was ending, Rin was satisfied that she had done all she could in making sure people knew that they could always look for Taisho Corp's marketing department when they needed advertising and design. Technically only English was needed to talk to the delegates, but she found French to be extremely useful when dealing with the French businessmen. It was partly due to the fact that they were more comfortable with French, but it was mostly because old imperialist attitudes died hard (even in 2008) and a young girl from the 'Orient' speaking their mother tongue got their attention.

"Oh, your French is very good! I've heard all about you from Mr. Dill, and he is very, very satisfied with the work you've done for him. I'll be sure to contact Taisho Corp when our new project is finalized." A mousey old man with a loud voice crooned. He spotted Sesshoumaru approaching them, and she swore that his beady eyes shone and his cheeks flushed. Long ago she had already realized that Sesshoumaru Taisho had that effect on people.

"So good to see you again, Mr. Molyreux." They shook hands. After a bit of business talk Sesshoumaru excused himself and took Rin with him.

"It's a good thing you came. They know you now." It barely passed as a compliment but a warm brandy-like high flushed through her and left her in high spirits throughout the rest of the seminar.

-

After the sumptuous dinner of French red onion soup and tiger prawns in ginger butter sauce, Rin didn't think she could fit in the dress Kagome chose for her but she did. It was eight-thirty and she was getting ready for the cocktail party in the Hotel de Crillon. To her amazement a maid had promptly appeared in her room at eight fifteen (just after she finished soaking in the tub) and offered to help her fix her hair and makeup.

Turns out the maid wasn't a maid but a freakin' professional. In less than fifteen minutes her hair was blown and fashioned into a mini French twist, with curls of hair softly framing her face. It should've looked messy but it didn't. Her makeup was done in five minutes flat. For once her mouth didn't look big, it looked sexy. Mascara thickened her lashes and a rosy color tinted her lips and cheeks. Though she had worn makeup before, she had never looked or felt so feminine.

"Your dress is beautiful, Madame!" cried the maid/makeup artist/hairstylist. And so it was. It was an enchanting shade of pine green and made of soft silk. The cut was simple but it flattered all the right places. It was halter, so it revealed her back. The skirt reached her knees and flowed around her as she walked. "The color complements your lovely hair."

Rin smiled and thanked her. She stepped into her pale gold three-inches, took her matching purse and left a generous tip before going to the lobby to meet Sesshoumaru.

As the mirrored lift took her down, she hardly looked at her reflection but contemplated about the party instead. It was held annually in conjunction with the seminar, but a lot more people were going to be there. There was a business connotation but only just; most of the time mothers were trying to push their debutantes into the arms of a worthy (and rich) man, or businessmen were looking around for old friends. Rin learned that Sesshoumaru only went because it was compulsory for the delegates to attend.

Rin's thoughts were cut short when the lift doors opened and she spotted Sesshoumaru examining a painting. He looked like a piece of art himself. His hair was in its usual loose ponytail but his business suit had been replaced with a three-piece tuxedo. He turned to look at her and she unconsciously sucked in her breath. He hadn't buttoned up the jacket, revealing an expensive-looking silver vest. How could he look so polished and so effortless at the same time?

Her heart fluttered at his admiring gaze and she was almost shy to approach him. But took care of that and strode towards her. She expected something gentlemanly like, 'you look lovely' or something along that thread but instead he said,

"Who is the Marketing Director of Ella Holdings?"

Huh?

She decided to play along. "Joan Springer since June this year. Why?"

He took her arm. "I only wanted to make sure you were the same person as the one on the plane this morning."

Rin couldn't help it, she laughed. They walked out into the cool September air and entered the waiting limousine.

They had champagne in the car.

-

In the party, lots of women were dressed to the nines, but Rin was almost the center of attention the moment she entered the hotel's Marie Antoinette ballroom. Sesshoumaru, for the most part, kept her by his side.

She sipped the deep golden liquid in the flute glass. "Oh my. What is this?" The wine was nothing like she had ever tasted. The honey-sweet flavor remained in her mouth long after she swallowed.

"It's a Sauternes from Chateau d'Yquem. Probably twelve years old. A half-bottle could cost up to eight hundred euros."

Rin's eyes widened at the number of glass flutes with the same wine in the room. Sesshoumaru only smiled a little and excused himself. She couldn't see exactly where he went; because once he was gone around three men surrounded her and demanded to know who she was. In a gentlemanly way, of course.

Before she knew it, she was feeling woozy…and somehow powerful. The dress, the hair, and mostly the wine were the culprits. The fresh-faced debutantes were decked in gorgeous haute couture, but for once in her life _she_ was the one who had the male population's attention. And by the looks of it, she wasn't even screwing up!

Klaus from Hoffman Enterprises told her a joke that was probably only funny to the Germans but she let out a peal of laughter that, to Klaus, sounded like Vivaldi's 'Spring'. He was going to ask for her to dance with him when he suddenly felt his back chill over.

"Excuse me, Mr. Schmidt, but I believe my dance with Miss Nakamura has been long overdue."

Rin, in her hazy heaven, saw Klaus leave in a hurry. She was looking in his direction when she felt a gentle warmth envelope her left hand. She turned and vaguely saw the silhouette of a tall, silver-haired man.

"Oh sir," She giggled. "It's you. I didn't know you spoke German."

Without asking for her permission, he took the (third) glass from her and, upon depositing her source of wooziness onto a waiter somewhere, pulled her to the dance floor.

Her vision clearing somewhat, she could finally make out the line of disapproval between Sesshoumaru's almost-delicate eyebrows. "Is anything the matter, sir?" She tried to put on her most sober voice as they danced to 'Waltz of the Flowers' from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker.

His magnificent golden eyes grew sharp. "You call me sir one more time…" His voice was low and had the tinge of a growl.

The glass of wine was gone, but its effects were here to stay. She flashed him a brilliant, cheeky smile. "Is that a threat?"

'That goddamned smile…' So she wanted to play games. That was fine with him. "What if it is?" He held her closer, their rhythm far from sync with the upbeat, almost triumphant pattern of the waltz. He deliberately gazed into her eyes.

Rin's smile faded but her color rose. She hated that he was so handsome. Under his intense stare, she couldn't help but look away. "You're doing it again…Taisho-san."

"Doing what?"

"Making me uncomfortable on purpose." She tried to increase the distance between them, but his hand was planted firmly on the small of her back.

"I'm sorry." He whispered next to her ear. The lights around them had dimmed, along with the music change. Tchaikovsky had left to be replaced by a devastatingly romantic version of Chopin's Waltz in D flat major. They were so close that she could see the strength of his jaw and smell the dry gin of his aftershave. She could _feel_ the male firmness of his chest. Rin's wine-induced haze completely dissipated, and she was suddenly all too aware of him. What in Sam's hell was she doing? It was all wrong, this was all wrong. She shouldn't be feeling this…this ridiculous arrhythmia thumping in her ribcage. He was cold, uncaring Sesshoumaru Taisho, her **boss** and they've been in acquaintance for what, four days? What happened to being 'proper and all'?

With too many questions and no answers, she forcibly left him and headed for the balcony. It was a warm night for autumn. There were a couple of people making out but she ignored them and went to the opposite side.

Before Rin had time to recollect her thoughts, she heard his suede oxfords walk towards her.

"Who's the Deputy Director of Rain Tree Private Limited?"

She turned to find him standing behind her with his hands in the pockets of his trousers. In the moonlight he looked almost ethereal, with the evening breeze teasing his loose ponytail. She couldn't stand it. How could she be in love with someone more beautiful than she is?

Wha-what?! What did she just think?

She must have been staring at him for too long because a corner of his lips lifted and he walked closer. "You don't know?"

Rin wished the balcony railings would snap and she could fall over and die. Could Carrara marble break? "Huh. Uh. Yes. Yes, sir of course I know. Greg Flanders, 55 years old. Got married last year to a woman thirty years younger. Was on Forbes' list in 2006."

He chuckled. "How do I know you aren't making this up? And are you sure you don't belong to the yakuza with that kind of information?"

Why was he in such a bloody good mood today?! She wanted to yell at him but instead she averted her gaze and stared at the Eiffel Tower.

"Rin."

This time, she didn't bother being polite. "What."

He took in her profile: the rosy lips that surrounded a mouth too big to be pretty, the defiant little nose and mostly the arresting brown eyes that never seemed to leave his mind since the day she spilt orange juice onto his nether regions. Really, her looks were too unconventional to be deemed beautiful. But he was drawn to everything, inside and outside, about her. He couldn't stand it, and to hell with the consequences.

"Look at me." His voice was husky.

Rin turned in curiosity and immediately her lips were captured by his. She was so surprised that a yelp escaped from her mouth, but he only swallowed it with his own demanding one. Sesshoumaru's right hand went up to the back of her neck, and his other pulled her close to him. Rin never felt so warm in her life. She forgot herself and submitted to him, putting her arms around his neck and threading her fingers into his silky moonlight hair. He moaned and deepened the kiss, coaxing her mouth open and doing things with his tongue that made her see stars.

"Ooh, look, Gaston! Another pair of lovebirds just like us… How romantique." The squeal was loud and the whisper was louder. In Rin's mind the stars faded and were replaced by alarm bells. Her eyes flew open and she tore herself away from him for the second time that night.

"I'm," she gasped breathlessly, "sorry!" She hurried past the two lovers who were making out when she came in (they were now unashamedly gawking at her) and ran back into the room, leaving an equally flustered Sesshoumaru behind.

The man named Gaston was the first to register the death glare that was pinned onto him and his girlfriend. He shuddered and quickly pulled Vivien back to the room as well.

Alone, Sesshoumaru could barely contain his growl of frustration. Damn that woman! She was sorry? Sorry for what? He was the one who attacked her, for chrissake. He didn't know what had come over him. He had never, in his thirty three years, had such an irrepressible need to claim someone. In his experiences it was always the woman who threw herself at him, and if he didn't find her too annoying he reciprocated. Why was it that the one person he wanted always managed to wriggle out of his grasp? _Why did he want her at all?_ If she wasn't a chatterbox, she was too obsequious. If she wasn't spilling orange juice and leaving her bra lying around everywhere she was working her ass off at her job and being impossibly capable. If she wasn't making him laugh she was irritating him to no end. Either way he could never ignore her or put her at the back of his mind like other women. Her contradictions only made him feel more…something.

And her being his goddamn employee only made it even more complicated.

-

I apologize for any errors. I'm too tired to proof read.

For those of you who've heard of Chopin's 'Minute' Waltz mentioned here, it's actually a very famous comical piece supposed to depict a dog chasing its own tail. But if you've had the fortune to hear it played really slowly and beautifully, it becomes one of the most romantic pieces you will ever hear. Go sample it on Wikipedia.

About Rin's tolerance for alcohol, it is good but the foreign, strong flavor of the French wine was probably strong enough to make her slightly dizzy.

It's almost but not quite over guys. I will persevere on because I love you people, and this is quite fun to write. The research led me to many places, like the Hotel de Crillon for one. Go to their website and bask in the luxury.

You've read, so now review and make me jump up and down.


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